The Ballad of Li
by lightbird
Summary: China is under the rule of a new Emperor, whose brutal and excessive rule has brought about famine and suffering throughout the country. Mulan & Shang meet again for the first time in 3 years, fighting on opposite sides. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters, etc. from the Disney movie belongs to Disney. Any characters, events, etc. that resemble those from the movie 'Hero' belong to the brilliant director Zhang Yimou and the other producers of that movie.

Summary: Takes place 3 years after the movie. China is under the rule of a new Emperor, whose brutal and excessive rule has brought about famine and suffering throughout the country. Mulan and Shang meet again for the first time since he returned her helmet; but they're fighting on opposite sides. What will happen?

A/N: Mulan was believed to have lived during the Sui Dynasty, and I have set this fic in that time period. It is not a historical fic per se but the story is based on a particular legend from that time. Once again I have warped and collapsed the timeline for purposes of the story and to stay somewhat within the confines of the timeline of the Disney movie. I have also used fictional names for the Emperors since I have changed things (also I can have more leeway than if I actually used the historical figures which I only know very general things about); however the old Emperor in the story is modeled after the real-life Emperor Sui Wen Di and his son after Sui Yang Di. I will give background about the real events and accounts as they come up so the readers have an idea of what the actual history is.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 1_

General Li Shang retired to his tent, tying the flap tightly closed to keep as much of the cold and wind out as he could. He lit the candle inside and sat down on the mat that would be his bed for the night, removing his gloves and rubbing his hands together to warm them.

Winter had just started and it was already a bitter one. They were supposed to march further today; he'd been hoping to reach Zhengzhou that evening. They would rest there for a short time and prepare for the next leg of the journey. But he decided to give his troop and himself a break and found a spot to camp earlier so they could get out of the cold.

Their destination was a small village called Shangqiu, in the eastern part of the Henan province. A jolt of electricity had gone through his body the minute the word was off Luo Di's tongue. Shangqiu was Mulan's village.

He'd been there about three years ago after the war they'd fought together, she disguised as a man in his camp, revealed after she was wounded. Wu Di, Luo Di's father who was the Emperor at the time, had declared her a heroine and had bowed to her in homage. He'd even offered her a position on his council. But she had only wanted to go home.

Shang went after her to return her helmet. He hadn't even known what he wanted to say to her. He only knew that everything had happened much too fast; the battle in the Tung Shao Pass and then in the Imperial City, her revealing, the Emperor's homage to her. And then she was gone just as quickly. He felt like he needed to see her again, to get to know her, and to grasp everything that had occurred like a great, tempestuous storm.

If she had accepted the position he would have seen her all the time, being on duty in the Imperial City. Despite the fact that she had chosen to stay home, he had made up his mind to find a way to still see her sometimes after the day he returned her helmet and was invited for dinner.

He'd been too busy to go all the way to Shangqiu and he just hadn't been able to bring himself to write a letter. He didn't know why. Perhaps he felt that she was just too extraordinary for someone like him.

There were several times that he thought he'd seen her in the palace and had hurried toward her; but they were fleeting moments and every time she was gone by the time he reached the spot where he thought he'd seen her, and nowhere in sight when he looked around in every direction. He was convinced that he'd imagined her every time.

He wondered if he would run into her again now that he was going to be in her village. He sighed and shook his head. Just because _he_ was available didn't mean she was. He was sure she was married now. Maybe she wasn't even living in that village anymore.

A wave of emotion swept through him, a mixture of regret and relief. What would he say to her anyway? So much time had passed and they weren't close. They'd been comrades in the war, friends in the context of the army, and she'd saved his life. That was really all that existed between them. And then he'd never met her again.

He shook it off and dropped his head in his hands, closing his eyes, thinking now about the sights he had seen during their travels, signs that did not bode well for this mission.

There had been a drastic change for the worse in China since Luo Di had ascended to the throne. Shang had witnessed it as he and the troops rode through the countryside on their way here, passing through small villages and past farms, many that had been ravaged by drought and neglect. It was obvious that people here were starving, some of them just managing to eke out a meager living, others not able to support themselves at all.

A memory was sparked by those sights. Before he left the capital he had attended a dinner given by Luo Di for all of the generals. A foreign diplomat was visiting at the time and the Emperor had all the trees around the palace decorated with colorful silk. He remembered overhearing the diplomat ask Luo Di, "How is it that your majesty has clothing for trees when the people have no food?"

Shang had been struck by the comment, but at that point he hadn't seen the countryside in a long time. He had been stationed in the capital for the last three years or so, guarding the Imperial palace. It was a shock to be out riding in the countryside, out of the bubble, to actually see what that diplomat had been speaking of.

He was a military man, not a politician. But he wondered if serving this emperor was really the honorable thing to do. Rumors of pending uprisings were rampant and Luo Di had sent him to lead a troop to the east to put them down where they existed there. Other generals were dispatched to do the same in the north, south and west.

One of the main bases of the uprising in the east was believed to be near Shangqiu.

If the rumors were true, he could certainly understand. After seeing the way people away from the limits of the Imperial City lived, he could understand why they would rebel. He felt a tinge of regret that he had to be the one to lead his troops against them. They weren't treacherous or evil; they were hungry and desperate. They deserved to be helped, not punished.

Still, he was the Emperor's general and an Imperial order was an Imperial order.

**xxxxxxx**

Mulan heaved a heavy sigh as she stood before the mirror in her old room and wound the bandage around her waist. It was time to be a man once more. After returning from battle, she never thought that she would ever have to disguise herself as a man again.

She slipped on the man's tunic and trousers that she had obtained and took a seat on the bed, glancing out the window toward the garden. Winter had come and it was already unbearably bitter and cold. The grass was covered with a thin layer of frost this morning, just as it had been the day she left for the palace three winters ago. A wave of sadness swept through her as she thought of it and the path that her life had taken now because of it.

She had turned down the Emperor's offer to be a council member, only to be called back to the palace to serve three months later when Chi Fu was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to the west.

She did not serve for very long under Wu Di. He died a few months after she came to reside in the palace. It was believed that his son had murdered him and seized the throne; but those were just whisperings and no one dared stir them up again out of fear of being overheard. People had been losing their heads for less since Luo Di had come into power.

Wu Di's death had saddened her greatly. He had been a kind old man, respectful of her, almost like a grandfather. He was understanding and greatly concerned for her well-being. It was Wu Di who had arranged for her to sit for her government exams and he arranged for her to get help studying for them. His rationale, in addition to her being better prepared to serve him, was that the other council members had worked very hard to pass those tests and earn their positions. As it was they were resentful of the woman warrior who had been placed among them; for her to have this position without working as hard as they did to get there would have made them all livid.

Some of the councilmen came to accept her but there were several who still grumbled and obviously resented a woman having the same position as them, even if she was China's heroine.

Unlike his father Wu Di, who had been a wise, just and moderate ruler, Luo Di lived lavishly, flaunting his power and his wealth and taxing the resources and labor of China. He also had an insatiable appetite for beautiful women.

It was Tian-mu, Wu Di's oldest friend and closest aide who told her about both father and son when she first got there. Tian-mu was a mature man, tall, thin and wiry like her father despite his age, with greying hair and a grey moustache, and it was he that had helped her prepare for her civil service exams. He shared the same ideals and values as his former Emperor.

Wu Di cared greatly for his subjects, thinking of them in later years as 'his children'; and he felt guilty that he lived so well when many of his people were starving.

"You would be too young to remember," Tian-mu had told her when she first arrived. "But fifteen years ago there was a famine in the land. Wu Di, in order to inspire us all to be more considerate of the people, invited us all to dinner. Instead of the meal we were accustomed to getting here in the palace he had a simple farmer family's meal brought out to everyone. So we would know what it was like. He openly declared to all that he was incompetent and to blame for not being able to improve the lives of the people.

"Even when he was younger, he lived a pious and frugal life," he explained. "He never kept concubines. His son, on the other hand, has always had a ton of concubines. He keeps them hidden from his father, as well as other aspects of his excessive lifestyle, because he knows his father would be very angry that he was living so extravagantly when so many people don't have food."

Li Tian-mu had turned out to be absolutely right about Luo Di. He was a man of lust, excessive and brutal in his spending and power. He initiated several projects on a grand scale, including the building of two additional capitals. Why he needed three capitals was beyond her. She thought he was crazy insisting on a second one. But, she supposed, a man of his appetites and his need for power required three capitals and three palaces from which to throw his weight around.

Still, the treasuries had become exhausted due to these projects as well as others, and the cost for him to journey back and forth to the other capitals.

Rumors were rampant that the populace had become disaffected. Luo Di was suspicious that there were assassins out there who might have reason to come after him. It was for this reason that so many were being executed these days. Anyone who spoke of anything that was perceived as potential treason would be seized immediately and put to death.

Mulan thought that she would be dismissed after Wu Di's death, and that his son would pick his own aides. But Luo Di had kept most of his father's aides, including her and Li Tian-mu. She supposed it was in honor of his father. Tian-mu had been his father's closest aide, and it was obvious to everyone that the Emperor had a special bond with the _'young man'_ who was the newest council member.

She had wished that Luo Di had dismissed her. The atmosphere in the palace became tenser and more oppressive with each passing day. And Luo Di had started giving her the eye, which was the last thing she wanted. Fortunately, there were younger, prettier women in the palace to keep him occupied and she was never approached.

Then the executions started. They appeared to be random at first. Whole families were brought before Luo Di and put to death for reasons that she hadn't had a clue about until now.

Two weeks before, Li Tian-mu and his entire family had been executed and she found out the reason why. And that was the day she fled the Imperial City and her service to the Emperor.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly, including an explanation of why it was that Shang never caught up to Mulan even though they were both in the Imperial City. Please review and let me know what you think so far.

**Note**: Shangqiu is in the eastern Henan Province and is believed to be the historical Hua Mulan's hometown (according to one account).


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and thanks to the reviewers.

**Note**: there are actually several different accounts concerning which dynasty Hua Mulan actually lived. The original poem and other accounts put her in the Sui Dynasty. Some put her in the Tang and still others put her in the Northern Wei Dynasty, the dynasty before the Sui. The technology used as well as the cultural setting in the Disney movie is more consistent with the Tang Dynasty and many fanfics from the movie are written in this dynasty for that reason. Most accounts agree that she most likely lived during the Sui Dynasty into the beginning of the Tang. I have modeled my story after the Emperors and events of the Sui Dynasty.

Take note again that this is not a historical fic per se. I have been inspired by certain events and anecdotes of the Sui dynasty which I will explain as the story goes along; but I have taken great liberties with the timeline. It was necessary to do so in order to combine certain details of the Disney movie with the events that this fic is based on.

Also, the word _gwan_ used in this chapter is the Chinese equivalent for _dojo_.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 2_

Mulan lay awake in her new room still, a small space with a bamboo mat and blankets surrounded by transparent sliding screens. All the students in the school had the same type of sleeping units within the wooden _gwan_. But she was used to a more private sleeping arrangement now, and was somewhat uneasy with the fact that she could be seen through the screens that surrounded her. She'd been finding it hard to sleep ever since she'd arrived there a week before.

There was no way she could have remained at home. The Emperor would be sending men after her, a traitor who had fled from his service. She had already impersonated a man once, and they knew that. They would be searching for both the woman Mulan and the boy-disguised Mulan.

She was hoping they wouldn't recognize the boy-disguise as quickly, and she had been given the new identity Jiang Hu, the son of the school's teacher, in order to throw off anyone that might come looking for her.

She also didn't want to endanger her family. Luo Di's men would be going to their home first, most likely. Her family would tell them that she was not there; and at least now they would not be lying to the Emperor's men. They could even let them search the house and the grounds.

The calligraphy school was on the outskirts of her town. It had been built close enough to the village proper so that the teachers and students would be able to obtain supplies and food easily and messages could be sent back and forth to the town within a day, while still remaining reclusive enough for the students to concentrate on their art without distractions.

Now the rebels were based in the calligraphy school, posing as students there. They, as well as Mulan, were genuinely practicing this art while they planned their strategy and waited until it was time to take action, some of them just learning it. According to old Master Jiang, who had taught her when she was younger and was still running the school, the art of calligraphy and the art of swordsmanship were closely related. Both arts required discipline and precision and both involved wrist action and a steady hand.

It was still a mystery to her who had organized this so well. Master Jiang was a wise teacher, but he was truly an artist, not a military man. The others remained fairly quiet for safety's sake, refraining from discussing their true leader or any plans until it was deemed safe to do so.

There were young men and women in the school now. When she was growing up, her father had paid Master Jiang and others to tutor her privately. It was unheard of for young women in a small village like hers to be educated. Most didn't have the money, and it was not considered necessary for women to be educated, other than in the domestic arts of cooking, weaving and the like.

Her father, being the Emperor's general, had better means than the people of the village and could afford to pay for her education, even after his retirement. She was also fortunate in a way because he recognized his only child's keen mind, insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Whereas many fathers would not have paid attention to those qualities; Hua Zhou valued and nurtured her talents.

It was her father that had been continuing to fund the calligraphy school even in these hard times, and he had been aiding the struggling people of the village to help them keep their farms and businesses going. At least in this town, people were not starving to death and farms were still running and producing crops.

Her father showed up to talk to Master Jiang the next morning. He then sought her out and they went into one of the screened-off studies to talk.

"You had to leave us right away for your safety and we were never able to talk when you returned last week, Mulan."

She nodded. Her father looked somewhat sad and she felt the wave of guilt and the need to apologize descend on her. She spoke up quickly.

"I'm sorry, Baba. I know that it was a great honor to even be asked, as a man yet alone a woman, to be a member of the Emperor's council and I know how proud you all were of it. It is dishonorable and cowardly of me to have fled his service. And it's treason. If they find me I will be killed. But I couldn't stay there."

"Times are hard right now," he said simply with a nod. "Things have changed. They aren't as clear cut as they were before. What was the right and honorable thing to do three years ago is not necessarily so now. Our family has always been very lucky, Mulan. Because of my service to Wu Di, we have always lived well. There are many in this village that have been struggling to make a living and put food on their tables. I have been helping them. The situation is much worse in other villages."

"I know. I've seen it."

She changed the subject, hoping her father could answer the question that had been on her mind and that no one there would speak of.

"The set up here is excellent. Do you know who has been organizing this? Who is their leader?"

"I am."

Mulan stared at him in shock. He nodded.

"I am the military man of the village. I can no longer fight, but I can advise them, and help them plan strategy. The country cannot continue in this way; we must have wiser leadership. Sometimes change must come with rebellion. This is why we have had more than one dynasty on the throne."

"Baba, the Emperor sent troops in all directions to put down the rebellions. General Li is leading the troop heading in this direction."

He nodded with a grave expression on his face. "I have been expecting as much. They haven't moved in on this village yet. I'm not sure how much information the Emperor and the troops have about our location at this point."

"The Emperor would have spoken of it to Shang in private if he knew anything. One of the councilmen overheard that the troop coming east is headed toward this village. It is possible that they are headed here, or may possibly be camped somewhere in the area already."

Her father gazed at her with a concerned expression.

"Mulan, what happened? Conditions have been bad for a year now and yet you remained in the Imperial City. Did you come back here because of General Li Shang?"

She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, feeling her face heating up with embarrassment at the suggestion.

"That was part of it. But it's not what you think."

"He was married two years ago."

"I know, Baba," she said quietly. "My reasons for wanting to find him have nothing to do with that."

"I'm sorry for your disappointment, Daughter."

She shook her head vehemently. "It's alright, Baba. I only fought in the war with him and he came once to return the helmet and have dinner. There was nothing more between us and to expect more would have been foolish on my part. Besides, we don't choose who we marry. Those things are to be properly arranged through the matchmaker."

He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It was still obvious how you felt about him."

She felt a tinge of sadness as he said those words, but she suppressed the feeling with an effort.

"It was one-sided, Baba."

"I am not so sure about that."

"It doesn't matter. It's in the past now."

It _was_ in the past. Talking about what might have been did her no good now, and at this point she enjoyed her freedom. She had always dreaded being trapped in the confines of a marriage, particularly an arranged one. As for Shang, there really wasn't anything between them and it really had been one-sided, on her part. Just because she would choose him didn't mean he would choose her. And then a few months after she had come to the Imperial City she heard that he had gotten married, to a traditional, dutiful wife who had passed the matchmaker's test.

She had seen Shang a couple of times in the Imperial City. She was there in the background the day he was made a general, remaining unseen and watching with pride as he took the new sword and helmet from Luo Di's hands.

She never let him see her though. She avoided him altogether, which wasn't difficult. The members of the council were in their meeting chamber or their own chambers most of the time and very rarely mixed with the military officers. The day Shang received his new commission was the only day she allowed herself to go anywhere near a gathering of officers.

She had no idea if Shang even knew she was there, and she did nothing to make it known to him. As far as he knew, she had turned down the Emperor's offer to be a member of his council and had remained at home. She was satisfied to let him go on believing that.

Once she was at the palace working, it was not widely discussed that China's heroine was now a member of the council. Most of the other ministers preferred to gloss over the fact that a woman was working on the same level as them, even though she did pass her civil service exams with flying colors. It had not been easy for her these past years working in the palace; those men never even called her by name, except for Li Tian-mu. She was referred to, sarcastically, as the _'young man'_. Shang, if he ever heard this reference, may have not had any clue as to who they were talking about.

Her father's voice interrupted her brooding.

"The heavens meant you for other things, Daughter."

She looked up and smiled wanly at him, gratified at his observation of her and his willingness to accept her for who she was, not what she was expected to be.

"What happened that made you flee the palace so suddenly, Mulan? You must have had a good reason to leave like that. And you have indicated that it is not just because of General Li."

"Luo Di executed Li Tian-mu and his family. Li Tian-mu was Wu Di's closest aide. And the one friend that I had at the palace."

"And you were worried you would be executed as well?"

"No. I wasn't in danger of that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Was there something that this man said…?"

"No. If that were the case, why did they have to kill his whole family?"

She shook her head for emphasis.

"No. It's something else and it took me some time to figure it out. But I did. Too late, unfortunately," she added, with a sad sigh as she thought of her friend and mentor. "I was too late to warn Li Tian-mu."

Her father waited for her to continue.

"Some of the people Luo Di executed were military personnel; some of them were ministers and officials. The occupations and walks of life ran the gamut."

"They were all in the Imperial City?"

"No. Many of them were officials on the local levels. They were actually summoned to the palace, with their families, for the purpose of being killed summarily. The executions seemed completely random at first, I couldn't figure out what they all had in common. I made a list of the people that were executed along with their families. The one thing they had in common was their surname. They all had the surname Li."

"There are many families in China with that surname, and they are not necessarily related to each other. Li is one of the most common surnames here."

"I know. But that's the common denominator. It's not a coincidence. It's his reason."

"Why would the Emperor be executing people just because they have the surname Li?"

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow soon and I will add some historical notes to the next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks again to all who have continued to read and review.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 3_

There was the heavy sound of large wheels rolling across the gravel outside and Hua Zhou stood up with the aid of his bamboo cane.

"That would be the latest shipment of supplies."

Mulan stood up and followed him out to the front courtyard of the school as two large carts pulled by horses entered the gates. She could see large sacks loaded onto them, probably containing rice and millet and other dry food.

Several of the young students came hurriedly out as well, rushing forward to help the men that had brought the carts to unload their sacks. Mulan stepped forward to assist as well and lifted one of the large sacks off of a cart. It was heavy and burdensome, not just because of the weight of what it contained but because the sacks were difficult to maneuver being so large in length, almost as long as she was tall. Odd for a sack of rice.

She shrugged off the thought and carried her load inside behind the others, following them down into a cellar where the sacks were being deposited. She found that there were already large supplies of rice and dry goods there, as well as a store of weapons of all kinds. She set her load down and turned to follow the others out to retrieve the rest of the sacks.

Once the carts were emptied and all sacks had been dropped off in the cellar, the horses were put away in the stable, the carts stored underneath a small shed beside the stable. Mulan walked down to the cellar with her father, resisting the urge to help him as he hobbled down the steps with difficulty, bracing himself against the wooden banister with one hand, supporting himself with his cane with the other. She knew it would disturb him if she assisted, so she walked slowly behind him and let him help himself down the stairs.

She worked with the other students now, slashing open the tops of the stacks with daggers and pouring the dry rice into large canisters that were placed around the sides of the cellar.

"Be careful," one of the students suddenly warned her just as she felt something hard and sharp lying at the bottom of the sack and the sharp pain of her finger being cut.

She winced and snatched her hand back, bringing her cut finger to her mouth. "Too late," she muttered.

She turned her attention back to the sack after a minute, reaching in more carefully now and retrieving a newly forged sword. She shook off the dust from the dry rice padding that had settled on the sword as it lay cushioned in the grain and held it out in front of her, looking it over and remarking at the craftsmanship.

"You have a good eye," her father said, softly, coming up to stand behind her. "Shen Jing-hao is one of the best sword-makers in China. We are lucky that he lives and works in the next village. We don't have to go far."

After the rest of the rice was emptied into the canisters, she stood up and walked over to the other weapons, laying the sword down with them.

Mulan and her father returned to the study to finish their discussion then.

"So, the Emperor is killing officials with the surname Li."

"Yes. I have no idea why."

"I have heard a rumor about a ballad that has become popular. It foretells the downfall of Luo Di. Perhaps the Emperor's campaign has something to do with this song they are singing. Maybe he's heard it and believes that the lyrics are truly prophetic and an omen."

"The ballad must mention the name Li somehow. That's the only explanation for it. You haven't heard the song, have you?"

He shook his head.

"No. But men have gone, a few at a time, from here to our village and to other villages for supplies, weapons, and to talk to the leaders there. We must stay in touch with the leaders of the organizations in those places and join forces; we will never succeed fighting on our own. They remarked that they heard it on their trips."

"They didn't stop and listen?"

"Not that I know of. They reported the gist of the words, that's it. They never mentioned the name Li."

Mulan thought for a minute then spoke.

"I would like to go on the next errand to one of those villages, Baba. I want to hear this ballad."

Her father looked dubious.

"I've been working in the Imperial Palace for three years now. I know about things from the inside that no one else would be privy to. The ballad may have a lot of meaning for me if I hear it. And I want to know what I'm talking about when I warn Shang."

"Yes, if the surname Li is the common denominator General Li could be in great danger when he is called back to the palace."

"Besides, if I listen to it carefully enough, maybe I'll learn the words. I'll come back and teach it to everyone. If nothing else, it may bring them hope."

Her father sighed and he still looked reluctant, but she could see that he was going to agree. A small smile slowly came to her lips and he gave her a stern look.

"I don't like this."

"I know, Baba. But I won't be alone."

"No, the men have always gone in twos, at least."

"I will be dressed as a boy, and I will go by the name Jiang Hu. Why would anyone look twice at me?"

He nodded. "I'll arrange it so that you are sent on the next errand."

They were silent for several minutes before he spoke again.

"Mulan, I know that you are concerned for General Li's life and that you'd like to see him. But it may be better if I'm the one to warn him. I cannot fight anymore and may therefore remain above suspicion. You are actually a fugitive from the Emperor's service. There is a good chance that the general has orders to kill you; and though I highly doubt he would go through with it, there is no guarantee. We haven't seen him in three years; he may be a changed man now."

"Alright, Baba. It is probably better if I don't see him anyway."

**xxxxxxx**

Shang cursed under his breath as a wave of annoyance washed over him once again at the delay. The plan had been to buy their supplies in the larger market and move on toward Shangqiu. Instead, they had been stuck in Zhengzhou for a week now; and though at first it had been a relief to be staying inside, out of the stinging cold and eating better food than army rations, he was getting somewhat anxious about the assignment. At times, his impatience got the better of him.

He already had misgivings about the mission after seeing how the people were faring in the countryside, and even here in Zhengzhou. He'd seen more ragged beggars on the street than he ever remembered seeing when he'd traveled here with his father. And even the people who seemed to be making a living looked dour and unhappy. The atmosphere around them was thick with solemnity and misery.

Now he'd received a message from the Imperial City asking him to remain in Zhengzhou temporarily while the Emperor was drawing up further orders for him. He dreaded what those orders would turn out to be.

A waiter approached the table and cleared the empty bowls from their lunches away. Shang sighed and sipped his rice wine, glancing at General Zhao, his more mature companion that had also been delayed there with his troops, waiting for the same instructions. Shang didn't mind spending time with the general who had been a friend of his father's, talking about strategy, learning of his more seasoned comrade's experiences in battle; but he was getting quite impatient with being at a stand-still.

General Zhao's troops were heading toward the third capital that was being built at Jiangdu. There had been news of impending uprisings as far away as the eastern coast and he was assigned to that area.

"I haven't seen the new capital being built at Jiangdu yet," General Zhao was saying.

Shang shrugged. "Neither have I. I haven't traveled that far east ever. But I'm sure when it's built it will be comparable to Chang'an and Luoyang."

"I hope his majesty will be pleased with his new guard. We worked very hard to train those new recruits to take over capital duty while we all have to be out in the field now."

Shang frowned as he thought of that. "They looked so young."

"You're not so old yet yourself, General," his older comrade said with a laugh.

"One of those boys looked like he couldn't have been older than fourteen."

"It's not so bad. They're _fubing_ now. It's employment for them, and an honorable one at that."

Shang nodded agreement and lifted his cup, draining it. He withdrew some money and left it on the table, rising to his feet.

"Going to drill your men, General Li?"

"We're stuck here but why waste time? They get the evenings off to do what they want."

"You have not learned to be calm yet and to just let things happen when they are not in your control. How old are you again now? Twenty-two?"

"The workout keeps them warm. And in shape," Shang insisted.

"And you, too?"

"And me, too," he answered, a smile coming to his face. "I guess I hate standing still."

General Zhao laughed and stood up. "Hold up. I'll go back with you and ask my men to join yours."

They left the inn together and headed down the street, back toward the barracks. They were halfway there when they came across a group of men gathered in a circle outside of a bakery, shouting.

"Must be a whipping of some sort," General Zhao remarked with only half interest after glancing through the large window.

Shang looked through the window and up at what the crowd was staring at and saw that there was a small boy hanging in mid-air, tied by his waist to the beam of the roof of the bakery. The boy's wrists were bound also.

"What the hell...?" he exclaimed.

General Zhao put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back as he was about to walk forward.

"This is not our concern, General."

"But, that's a small child they've hung up there!"

"Let it go."

But Shang shook the older general's hand off of his shoulder and pushed his way through the crowd of men, striding through the doorway and toward the boy. He couldn't have been more than seven years old judging by his looks; though he was so emaciated, it was possible that he could have been older and merely looked that young because of stunted growth from starvation. The boy was filthy, his loose hair unkempt and wild, and he was dressed in layers of torn rags and shoes with holes in them. His bare skin showed through some of the gaping tears in the material and it was a wonder that he hadn't frozen to death yet.

Shang winced as he noted the boy's torso. Through the holes of the rags he could see the ribs that were painfully visible and the rope tied around him seemed to dig into them.

He drew his sword and stepped forward to cut the boy down.

A man stood in his way. "Thank you, Honorable General. I will take care of this little brat myself."

"Why have you tied him up like that? What is his crime?" Shang demanded.

"He's a thief. I caught him stealing food from me. And this is not the first time."

"He's a small child and he's starving to death," he argued indignantly, with no small amount of shock at the man's callousness.

"I run a business, not a charity, Honorable General. It is difficult enough to make a living these days without a little thief stealing food that I have to sell."

"Water," came a small hoarse croak from above.

"What did he steal?"

"Two rolls."

Shang reached into his money pouch and withdrew two one-piece coins, handing them to the man.

"They are paid for now."

He shouldered the man aside and strode up to the boy. He cut the rope and dropped his sword quickly to catch the boy in his arms as he fell, almost afraid to hold the small body for fear of crushing the bones that his hands could feel poking out through the torn material of the boy's clothes and through his own gloves.

He set him down on the ground gently and snatched his sword up, turning to the gathering of men there.

"Get some water," he barked to anyone in particular who would have enough sense to obey.

He cut the rope that was binding the boy's wrists and sheathed his weapon.

A minute later a man appeared with a large cup of water and handed it to the boy, who lapped the liquid up at an alarming rate, stopping only to let out choked coughs as some of it went down the wrong way.

"Easy," Shang told him softly. "What's your name?"

The boy wouldn't answer, remaining intent on gulping down what was left in the cup, not even bothering to wipe the water that had dribbled down his chin.

"He will just be back tomorrow, General," the man that had blocked his way complained. "And this will have to happen all over again."

Shang drew out more coins and handed them to the man. "Give me whatever food this will buy."

The man returned with the rolls and Shang handed them to the boy who stuffed them into the pockets that still existed on his clothes.

"Alright, alright," the flustered bakery owner was calling out in annoyance to the men who were still gathered and gawking at the scene, shooing them away with sweeping waves of his arms. "The entertainment is over. Get lost and let me do my work now."

The crowd slowly dispersed and the man went to tend to the oven, glancing back at Shang as he went. Shang sat silently beside the boy, watching as he took one of the rolls and shoved it into his mouth ravenously.

"What do you think you're going to be able to do for him, Li Shang?"

Shang looked up, startled at the sudden more informal address. Zhao had entered the bakery and he now stood over the two of them.

"You can't take him with you and your troops. That man was right. Things will just be exactly the same for him tomorrow."

The boy finished eating the roll and looked up warily at Zhao. Then he leaped up and darted off, circumventing him and making a beeline for the exit. As he reached the threshold he halted and twisted his body to glance back, looking directly at Shang. His facial expression was an enigmatic mixture of gratitude, sadness and something else that Shang couldn't put his finger on. Then the boy turned away and ran off.

"More like a wild little animal than a little boy," his elder remarked quietly. "He will be stealing again by tomorrow, if not today. Or he will freeze to death."

Shang sighed and dropped his head into his hands.

"I couldn't let them harm him. He's an innocent little child and his situation isn't his fault."

"I know. But you are too idealistic and a little naïve still, I'm afraid. You cannot change the way things are. All you've done is bought him another day or so of struggling. And the next time they have him hung up there you won't be here to stop it."

He raised his head to look at him. "Doesn't it bother you to see things like this, General Zhao?"

"Of course it does. But what can we do? These things exist and we can't change them by ourselves. The boy has obviously either been abandoned by his parents, or they died. Or maybe he's stealing for them. It's not our concern. We have a mission to complete, both of us. Even if the boy hadn't run off, you couldn't have taken him with you. And would you have shirked your duty and your mission and stayed here with him when it came time to move out?"

"No, of course not."

"Try to forget about it, Li Shang. The boy and anything that happens to him is beyond your control."

Shang sighed again and nodded, resigned. He stood up and left the bakery with General Zhao, and they headed back to the barracks.

**xxxxxxx**

Two days after the incident with the nameless boy an Imperial messenger finally showed up at Zhengzhou with their new orders while Shang was having dinner with General Zhao.

He unfurled the message that had been handed to him and read it. One of the Emperor's council members, Hua Mulan, had deserted and fled Chang'an.

"So, she left," General Zhao mused, in the middle of reading his own message.

"Council member?" Shang exclaimed, feeling his heart skip an entire beat.

Had she taken the position after all?

"Yes," General Zhao answered looking up.

He noticed Shang's shocked expression and began to laugh.

"You look like you've just been hit in the head, Li Shang."

Shang realized then that his mouth was hanging open halfway and he closed it quickly, feeling the redness creep into his cheeks and up into his ears. He shook his head and raised his cup to his lips, to take another sip of wine and so his companion wouldn't see his expression.

"I thought she'd turned down the position," he muttered as he lowered his cup again, staring into it, barely able to get the words out.

"Yes, you were there, weren't you? She was under your command."

Shang nodded. "That was my first stint in the army as a captain."

"You've heard some of the officers refer to the _'young man' _in the palace, haven't you?"

He raised his gaze back to Zhao again.

"Yes. What about it?"

"That was her. The other councilmen and some of the officers that dealt with them called her that."

Shang's eyebrow went up at that. "That's who they meant? They called _her_ the _'young man'_?"

General Zhao began to laugh heartily again but Shang winced, thinking how painful it must have been for her to be treated that way by people she was working with.

"She's been there for three years. I guess you never saw her and no one ever addressed her by name, I don't think. Besides, the council members manage to avoid the military officers most of the time. Which has always suited me."

He continued talking about something else then but Shang had tuned him out already, thinking about the times that he thought he'd seen her. So he hadn't been imagining it; he _had_ seen her those times.

He wondered what had made her flee the Emperor's service in this way. He couldn't believe she would do this; that was not like her at all. Even though for much of the time he knew her as a boy named Ping, he had spent enough time with her, he'd fought side by side with her; and he knew that she was extraordinarily brave and had a high sense of honor and duty. Why would she do this?

He looked at the parchment in his hand, reading and rereading the Emperor's order over again. Mulan was to be brought to the palace for execution; or if it was necessary to execute her before then, her head was to be brought to Luo Di. General Zhao had received the same order, as had the other generals that were leading troops in several directions to put down the rebellions. But Mulan had most likely gone to her home town; and that was where he was going. He would be the one to most likely find her.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly. The term _fubing_ that was mentioned in this chapter was the name for the professional army that was instituted during the Sui Dynasty (and later adopted by the Tang). Below is a general note about the Sui Emperors and an overview of events that serve as a backdrop for this story for those who are interested. As I noted earlier, Wu Di in this story is based on Emperor Wen and Luo Di is based on Emperor Yang.

**Historical Note**

Emperor Wen was the founder of the Sui Dynasty. History records that he was frugal in nature and sought to project the image of benevolence in his rule. He is the Emperor that unified the north and south of China and he implemented several policies and standards that helped revitalize the economy of the country. Much of what he put in place paved the way for the flourishing Tang Dynasty that followed. Emperor Yang was his son, who ascended to the throne at his father's death; it is believed that he did murder his father.

Emperor Yang was the exact opposite of his father. He was excessive, brutal and a notorious womanizer. He initiated projects on a grand scale, including the relocation of his capital to Luoyang (and the building of one at Jiangdu), the Grand Canal and he initiated costly military campaigns against his neighbors (costly both in money and lives). Yang Di's extremely extravagant lifestyle and large projects exhausted the labor and resources of the country and under his rule famine ran rampant across the countryside. His attacks against Korea ended in disaster and in the third and last attack, only about 2700 out of 2 million soldiers sent were able to retreat. Eventually, uprisings began one by one against him until finally Li Yuan, a general stationed at Taiyuan, led a successful campaign against Emperor Yang and forced him to flee.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

"Balance," Master Jiang told the students as they practiced their brush strokes. "Each character must be balanced and steady, with a clear center. Even the characters that lean have a clear center."

There was no sound in the room other than Master Jiang's voice and the soft sounds of brushes etching against practice slabs.

Mulan concentrated on her own task, ignoring the questioning glances that she still received every so often. Many of these 'students' were villagers that she'd grown up with, still living here, many of them married now. They had thought she was odd and bound to bring dishonor upon her family; they still thought she was odd but now she was a woman that had been honored by the Emperor, too, and had actually gone to work in his palace. She sensed the ambivalence that they felt toward her, a combination of admiration and confusion, an uncertainty about whether it was right to feel approval or disapproval. Dressing up as a man and joining the army was outrageous as far as they were all concerned; and now here she was dressed as a man again for a different reason.

At least she hadn't run into the matchmaker upon returning. And despite the quizzical glances that the others snuck her way every now and then, their behavior toward her was pleasant. Many of the younger ones hadn't been there to witness the scene in the street when she was called a disgrace. And things had changed anyway. The fact that there were women involved in this rebellion that Hua Zhou was organizing was a striking example of how different things had become.

She stood up quietly when her father entered the school room and beckoned to her. They went off to the study again to talk.

"We have all of the swords and staffs that we need and it's time to start the real training. We'll have to work at night, I'm afraid."

She nodded. "When Imperial guards would be less likely to come around. There's the courtyard in back. That should keep us pretty much unseen, especially if we're working in the dark."

"Yes. I've been instructing them and demonstrating what I can," he said, softly. "But now that you're here, you can demonstrate."

"I hope I remember. It's been three years since I've been in the army and I need to get back in shape, too. I practiced martial arts some when I was working at the palace, but it wasn't the same as the workout I got from Shang."

She laughed wistfully as she thought of it.

"I'm sure it will all come back to you quickly, Mulan. But before you get involved with the training, we need to get a message to the leaders in the next village. You wanted to go on the next errand; this is it."

"Yes, I wanted to have a chance to hear that song. You said they're singing it in this village, too."

"They are, but I haven't heard it. I don't spend my evenings in the taverns."

Mulan smiled warmly at him. She knew that her father had never been the type to cavort in taverns. He was always very attentive and loving toward her mother and the two of them were really lucky that they were brought together.

"And if General Li's troops are on the way to this village you can't be there, even in disguise. He's already seen you dressed as a man and will recognize you."

"I know."

"You will have to stay away for a few days. There will be much information to gather and the weather does not look very promising. You'll have to refrain from traveling in the event of inclement weather. Xu Ao-li will be going with you. We will have something for you to bring to the village and a story for you both to tell in the event that you are detained by Imperial guards."

She stared at him, hesitating for a moment, thinking about the treatment that she received from the council members other than Li Tian-mu, and her concern that Ao-li and the other men here would resent her working on their level as well.

"What is it?" he asked, noticing her troubled expression.

"There's no problem with Ao-li? I mean, him going with me?"

"He knows I will run a sword through him if he lays a hand on you, bad leg or no."

"Oh," she answered, stunned. It wasn't what she meant. She hadn't even thought about what her father was suggesting; she was dressed as a man, after all.

"Something else is bothering you?"

She shook her head and shrugged it off. "I'm sure everything will be fine. When do we leave?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

**xxxxxxx**

Camp was already set up at sunset, in a spot several li before the village of Sui Xian, the last village that lay along the route to Shangqiu. General Zhao's troops would be continuing southeast from there, on toward Jiangdu, while Shang's troop remained to stake out the village of Shangqiu and the area surrounding it.

Scouts had been sent ahead first to make sure the forest was clear of any hostile forces, and the rest of their troops moved on after they had returned with the report. Tents were pitched quickly, sheltered under the thick canopy of trees, and a guard rotation was set up around the campsite for the next twenty-four hours.

The cooks promptly prepared dinner and while their troops ate, Shang met with General Zhao in his tent, poring over the map that was spread out between them.

"I was in Shangqiu three years ago," he said, staring intently at the spot on the map and indicating with his finger. "This area here is forest and might be another area that we'll need to have scouted before we move in. If it's clear of rebels my troop can make camp there while we stake out the village."

General Zhao nodded agreement. "Yes. We're ordered to put down rebellions, but there doesn't appear to be any activity yet. My guess is that any uprisings in the works are just that; in the planning stages. It's very possible that at this point we don't need an army. What we need are spies to go into these villages covertly to snoop out the organizers and leaders."

Shang frowned thoughtfully. "According to the rumors that reached the Emperor, the base in this area is near Shangqiu, not necessarily in the village itself. It may be a good idea to have the whole area including the surrounding villages scouted out. This village that we're arriving in tomorrow."

"Very good, General. I would scout out this village of Sui Xian, Shangqiu itself, Xiayi. My troop will be passing by Xiayi on our way southeast. I will send a message to you if I hear of anything out of the ordinary," General Zhao answered, rising to standing. He walked over and rummaged through his things, withdrawing a cask of rice wine and two cups a minute later.

Shang held his hand up, indicating that he didn't want any. Though the wine kept him warm he'd been drinking much too much of it ever since he'd been in General Zhao's company and found that his mind, normally alert and sharp in the morning, was always in a fog when he first woke up these days. Tea would do just as well and his head would remain a lot clearer.

Zhao chuckled and poured the liquid into one cup only.

"Hua Mulan is from Shangqiu," he remarked as he sat back down on the ground cross-legged, peering over the map at Shang.

He nodded. "Yes, I know. I went there three years ago to return her father's helmet."

"You will probably be the one that finds her, Li Shang."

Shang swallowed, caught off guard by the informal, more fatherly address that Zhao had switched to all of a sudden as he spoke of her, his mind reeling from the gravity of the meaning of that statement. He nodded again, making an effort to keep his face schooled into an impassive mask under the mature general's scrutinizing gaze. He would have another decision to make if that happened, just as he'd had to make a decision in the Tung Shao Pass when she was revealed to him.

"Maybe she didn't come this way," he suggested, finding his voice as the idea came to his mind. "She must have known that Imperial officers would be sent to her hometown first. I would think this would be the last place she'd come."

"Or the first place," Zhao laughed. "She might figure that we wouldn't expect her to risk coming here so she did. Her father would do something based on logic like that. Hua Zhou was a great general and an excellent mastermind."

He frowned and lifted his cup, taking a swig of wine, then set it down and spoke again.

"When he was injured so severely and forced to retire the Imperial army lost a great warrior."

"Yes," Shang answered quietly. "My father used to tell me stories about him."

"He…"

The sound of someone clearing their throat outside of the tent interrupted him.

"Come in," General Zhao called out.

One of the cooks pushed the flap open, stepped in and bowed.

"General Zhao, General Li. The men have all taken their meals. I will bring your dinner in to you now."

"Very good, Shuo."

"I think I'll start with this village," Shang mused when Shuo had left the tent, gazing at the map and the area that represented where they were now. "There may be someone in Sui Xian who is organizing people as well."

"Definitely. These are small villages, with small numbers. It would seem that several of them would need to join together to make a formidable fighting force."

"Exactly."

Shuo returned with their dinner and tea, then bowed quickly and exited the tent again.

"It will be interesting to see who the leaders of these uprisings will turn out to be," Zhao commented, picking up his chopsticks and bowl of rice. "These are not military officers, they're farmers and villagers. Still, they are desperate people; poor and starving. Desperation can drive people to do many things and it gives them the impetus they need to succeed."

Shang watched General Zhao tuck into his rice, wondering how he was still able to sound so matter-of-fact as he alluded to the hardship and other dismal things they had continued to see around them. The incident with the little boy in Zhengzhou still permeated his thoughts.

"Many of them were drafted to fight in the war," he answered finally, thinking of Mulan and the other villagers that had been in his own troop the first time he went to battle. "They may not be officers by profession, but the more intelligent soldiers may have learned something from their time in the army."

Mulan was one of those more intelligent soldiers that had learned quickly and another thought crossed his mind suddenly. She was certainly sharp enough to organize a group of rebels. Maybe that was why she left the palace and shirked her duty to Luo Di. Maybe it tore her up to see how their countrymen suffered, so much so that she decided to do something about it.

"That is quite possible."

Shang started and he felt his heart freeze, believing for a moment that General Zhao was answering what he'd been thinking about Mulan. He relaxed after a moment, realizing that he was just answering his remark that the villagers who had been soldiers might have learned strategy.

"You're leaving first thing tomorrow?" he asked when his heart stopped thudding, wanting to change the subject.

"Yes. We have a long way to go before we reach Jiangdu and we lost time waiting in Zhengzhou."

**xxxxxxx**

The morning air was icy, the sky covered with a blanket of grey clouds, the air thick with the feel and smell of an on-coming storm. Mulan and her companion Xu Ao-li rode side by side at a steady trot, keeping silent as they both braced themselves against the biting cold that hit them every time the wind blew.

They were still a long way from the village of Xiayi, where they were headed on their errand to meet with a few of the masters in the school there; and they were concerned about a storm beginning before they could get there, especially since they were riding through open plains now and didn't even have the shelter of the forest.

They were alone, not a soul in sight besides them and she and Ao-li looked like two teenage companions riding their horses, intent on going about their business for the day. There wouldn't be anything suspicious-looking about them, she hoped.

She had learned that it was through these errands that the rebel groups in the various villages of the area planned, communicated, exchanged weapons and supplies, and prepared themselves for the day when they would combine to be a large enough army that they could strike out. She was duly impressed yet not in the least bit surprised to find that it had all been masterminded by her father. Growing up she had taken it for granted that her father was a famous general who was renowned as a brilliant tactician and a peerless warrior; but she had never witnessed his strategic talent firsthand until now. When she learned that their allies in the other villages called him _The Fox_ she was floored.

"They don't want to be overheard calling me by name, giving me away," he told her, modestly when he saw her shocked expression. "So they came up with that nickname."

A smile came to her face as she thought of it now.

The wind picked up violently all of a sudden with a howl across the open expanse, and Mulan reached up with a gloved hand and wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes as the icy gust stung them. She blinked and squinted, focusing ahead, trying to see if she could make out the outline of trees on the horizon. All she could see was endless, open flat space.

She leaned forward and lowered her body so that she would meet with less wind resistance. The two of them were dressed from head to toe in layers of non-descript dark green and grey clothing that would camouflage them in the forest and even in the field should they run across Imperial guards. Although their direction was southeast, the opposite direction from Chang'an and from where the troops would be coming from, there was always a chance that they could run into Imperial guards when they least expected. An explanation had been worked out for them to offer in the event that they were stopped and questioned for any reason; they were on an errand from their school to buy more ink and to deliver some finished banners that had been ordered by the prefect of Xiayi, a sympathizer who kept the façade of a loyal and simple local official, one that remained uninvolved in any matters outside the scope of his duties.

It was a plausible explanation and one that she had no doubt would be accepted. Still, it was preferable to avoid Imperial officers whenever possible. With her luck they might run into an officer from Chang'an who would recognize her.

Although she hadn't seen the banners yet, which were in their packs, she was pretty sure that the words on them contained a cryptic message that had a meaning meant for the leaders they were meeting with. Another covert detail that her father would have come up with. An Imperial guard wouldn't guess the meaning most likely, but it was better not to take the chance.

"There," Ao-li broke the silence, pointing into the distance. "I can see the forest coming into view."

She nodded and they both spurred their horses to a gallop despite the blast of wind that they had to ride against, hurrying toward the cover of the trees.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Shang scowled as his scouts came stumbling back into camp, weaving visibly and singing an odd song. They halted abruptly when they saw him standing there and ceased their singing.

"General Li."

The three of them attempted to bow and salute him with difficulty.

"You were supposed to be scouting the situation not having a time to yourselves," he reprimanded.

"We needed to blend in, General," Captain Mao, his second in command, slurred. He was supposed to be in charge and he seemed to be the most drunken of the three of them. "We couldn't go into a tavern and not drink anything all night. It would have looked suspicious. Anyway, we learned a new song."

Shang curtly dismissed the other two men, who went staggering off, then beckoned Captain Mao to follow him into his tent. He cursed under his breath as he took a seat inside and gestured for him to sit across from him.

Captain Mao had not been his choice of a second in command and Shang wondered once again exactly what his connection was to the Emperor that he'd ever received his rank. He had been assigned to Shang's troop a week before they left the Imperial City and Luo Di had ordered that he make him his second in command.

Mao was a good fighter, but he wasn't cut out for command. He was brave but reckless in his bravery. He wasn't structured at all; in fact he was irresponsible. He didn't seem to take anything seriously and he pulled the others that he surrounded himself with down.

"General, we found out a few things," Captain Mao began speaking formally, suddenly not slurring his words and appearing to be completely sober.

Shang stared at him in surprise. "Was that all an act?"

"I know my limits, General. The other two are a little worse for wear, however," he added with a laugh. "They're young still."

Shang shot him a scathing look and the laugh was cut off abruptly.

"What did you find out?" he pressed now that he'd made his disapproval clear to his captain.

"You would be quite impressed at how clever we were, General."

"Yes, I'm sure," the young general snapped, impatiently. "Get to the point, Captain. Did you find out anything about who might be involved?"

"No. But we found that there is a large amount of trading happening between this village and several others in the area, including the one we are headed to, Shangqiu."

"Trading of what?"

"Food and clothing mostly, but then there are odd, random items that they're trading, too. Silk banners. Ink. Even art work. It just struck me as weird. These are poor villagers that barely have food and clothing, yet they're trading things like ink and art work. It's bizarre."

"Yes," Shang replied thoughtfully. "How did you come by all of this information?"

"By listening to the patrons in the tavern talking."

"Wasn't anyone suspicious of you listening in on their conversations?"

"No. The three of us sat there drinking and blending in. By the way, this is the village that Shen Jing-hao lives in."

"The sword maker?"

He nodded. "One of the best, General."

"I know."

"We met him. He asked us who we were and we told him that we were travelers, looking to try to make a living. I believe that they all thought the three of us were bandits. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. It puts us on the opposite side of the law in their view, which should make us allies."

"That will be a good place to start, Captain. We will follow the trail of the villagers' trading. Maybe they're exchanging information as well; even weapons. Maybe Shen Jing-hao's new livelihood is supplying weapons to rebels."

"What are your orders, sir?"

Shang unrolled his map and held the lantern over it to illuminate it more, pointing as he spoke.

"You and the two others will return to Sui Xian on horseback early tomorrow morning and remain there. The rest of the troop will be moving out to Shangqiu. We will be camping in the forest here, and scouts will be sent to that village and to the village of Xiayi. When you have something to report, come to Shangqiu. If my suspicions are correct, following the trail of commerce in this area will bring you straight there anyway."

He set the lantern down beside him.

Captain Mao bowed and saluted him hand over fist. "Yes, General."

"Okay, Captain. You're dismissed."

"Goodnight, General."

"Goodnight."

Shang heard him outside the tent as he walked away singing again, the same song with strange lyrics about Mount Luo and plums.

**xxxxxxx**

"_A swan flies around Mount Luo, where there grow peaches and plums. It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."_

Mulan listened to the _pipa_ player as he sang this refrain, accompanying himself on his lute. The tune was melancholy and the man bowing the _erhu_ made the instrument sound as if it were weeping. The early verses were about hardship and grief, the later ones about hope and change. Many of the men knew all of the verses and they sang along, some of them practically in tears. As the _pipa_ player reached the refrain each time the rest of the crowd joined in.

She withdrew a piece of paper and a stiff brush from her pack and began to scratch out the words to the song. The lyrics were symbolic as were many poems and sayings that professed to be prophetic. The words _Mount Luo_ in the repeated refrain had caught her attention and she knew they had to mean Luo Di; this was the ballad that her father had been talking about.

She stuffed the paper with the lyrics into her pocket after the ink had dried. She would read them over later and try to make sense of them, and when she returned to Shangqiu she would show them to her father. He often spoke to her in this symbolic way, usually using blossoms to signify her; if there was anyone that would figure out the lyrics, it was him.

A barmaid approached their table and Ao-li ordered more rice wine for the two of them.

"We need to make sure we get to the prefect first thing tomorrow," he remarked, turning to her as the barmaid hurried off.

She nodded. They had foregone going to see him that evening, wanting to get inside and warm up quickly with a good meal and some wine. They had made it into the forest before the snowstorm hit, but it was still a treacherous, exhausting trek to get to Xiayi. The sun had long since set when they finally arrived at the village. After seeing to the care of their horses they immediately made their way to this crowded tavern and ordered dinner.

Loud applause broke out as the musicians finished the song. Mulan and Ao-li joined in and clapped for them.

"I'm not sure whether this is the song or not. It seems to be, but the lyrics are cryptic," Ao-li commented when the applause had died down.

"Well, Mount Luo has to mean the Emperor," she answered softly. "That's the only thing I recognize."

She withdrew the paper with the lyrics from her pocket again and they perused the words together as the musicians began to play and sing another tune.

"This is supposed to be prophetic," she remarked. "Oh, of course! In the refrain. Plums. Li. That must be where they're getting the Li part of the prophecy from."

"The people in here all seem to know the lyrics really well and what they mean, but I don't think it would be a good idea to ask them. They may not want to talk about it out in the open."

"No. And they may be suspicious of us for asking."

The door to the tavern opened and a blast of cold air hit them. Four Imperial soldiers stepped through the door and Mulan snatched up the paper and shoved it back into her pocket.

"Hey, I was still reading…"

"Imperial guards," she muttered gesturing toward the door with her eyes. "I don't want them to see it. Just in case they would recognize it."

The barmaid that had taken their order finally appeared with their drinks. Mulan had seen her fighting off one of the men and she looked flustered. She and Ao-li both reached into their pouches and pulled out some money, pushing it toward her.

The four soldiers swaggered through the tavern, stopping at the tables they passed and talking to the patrons. One of them headed straight for their table. Mulan cursed under her breath.

"Okay, just act naturally and drink your drink," Ao-li muttered. "He'll sense if you're nervous."

Mulan raised her cup and he followed suit.

"Drain your cup," she toasted him and took a gulp of the wine. It warmed her as it slid down her gullet and steadied her nerves a bit.

"Good evening," the soldier greeted them as he approached. By his uniform they saw that he was a general.

Mulan thought she recognized him from the Imperial City and it took every ounce of strength that she had inside of her to not panic. He didn't appear to recognize her, but he may have just been skilled at keeping his face expressionless. She nodded a greeting, setting her cup down on the table.

"Good evening, Honorable General," Ao-li answered.

"You two young men are travelers," the general remarked, not wasting time and getting right to the point. He gestured to their packs that lay on the bench beside them.

"Yes, Honorable General," Mulan answered, making sure to lower the pitch of her voice so she sounded like a young teenage boy instead of a woman. "We're from the next village."

"What are you doing here?"

"We're here on an errand for our school," Ao-li answered. "Are we doing something wrong, Honorable General?"

The general shook his head. "No. But there are many signs of trouble and unrest in our land. We are merely trying to keep order. What is your errand?"

"We are buying ink for our school and delivering banners that the prefect of this village ordered."

"Ink?"

"Yes, sir. We are studying at the calligraphy school in Shangqiu."

"I see. And you said you are delivering banners?"

"Yes, sir. The prefect ordered them from our master."

"Show me."

Mulan made every effort to appear nonchalant as she reached into her own pack and pulled one of the banners out with trembling hands. She handed it to the general and he unrolled it, laying it out on the table in front of him and scrutinizing it.

"Who is your master?" he asked, looking directly at her.

"Master Jiang," she answered. She swallowed quickly then added, "My father."

"He has a fine hand."

"Yes, sir."

"And you are following in his footsteps, young Master Jiang?"

"Yes, sir."

"This is Jiang Hu. And I'm Xu Ao-li."

The general fell silent again, looking over the banner. "Master Jiang was in a somber mood when he created this," he remarked thoughtfully. He straightened up after a minute and rolled the banner up again, handing it to Mulan. "Let me see the other one."

Ao-li obeyed, reaching into his own pack and withdrawing the other banner. The general took it from him and unrolled it, laying it on the table and examining it.

"Ah, now here he was in a happier mood. So, these are both for the prefect's quarters?"

"Yes, sir."

"There is a woman from your village who has fled her service to Luo Di," the general abruptly changed the subject, rolling the second banner up and handing it back to Ao-li. "Her name is Hua Mulan."

"Ah, yes," Ao-li answered casually, nodding at Mulan. "We know her, of course."

Mulan nodded. "Yes, she became quite celebrated in our little village after she fought for the Emperor."

"She is a criminal now. When you return home be sure that the people of your village know that if they shelter her, they are harboring a traitor to the Emperor. He has sent out an order demanding her execution."

The general moved off and approached the next table. Mulan and Ao-li both raised their cups again and drained them dry.

**xxxxxxx**

Shang had ordered Captain Mao and the two scouts to leave for Sui Xian on horseback early the morning after they came back to camp drunk, though the other two men clearly had nasty hangovers. Now, several days later, he was still in the forest with his troop.

A snowstorm had hit, continuing for a couple of days, and the visibility was non-existent during it. He had therefore made the decision to hold the troop where they were camped instead of trying to move out to Shangqiu through such treacherous weather. Still, it was hard camping in weather like this, even with the shelter of the trees and the roaring fires that they kept going to warm them.

By now General Zhao would have made it to Xiayi. A scout would have to venture back from there to find him if there were going to be any message from him.

Shang stood up and walked to the tent opening, pushing the flap back and gazing out. The storm had stopped but there was a gale blowing, stirring up the snow and swirling it around.

His wife had gone into labor on a night like this the year before and a twinge of grief weighed heavily on his heart as he was suddenly taken back to that night. The midwife was staying with them at that point so she was right there when it happened. It had been a harrowing night. Mei-ling was in pain and agony for hours. He had stayed out of the room but he could hear her anguished cries. After what seemed an eternity an eerie silence had finally fallen. There wasn't even a groan from Mei-ling; no wail from the newborn infant.

She died shortly after the baby boy was taken from her womb still-born.

He sighed and closed his eyes, bracing himself against the wave of regret and sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. He would have had a son.

Mei-ling was a beautiful, delicate woman from a noble family who'd been picked out by his mother; and after the matchmaker approved of the proposed union the preparations went forward and he brought his new wife home a couple of months later.

He'd been able to gracefully put off getting married when he returned from the war with the understandable excuse that he was in mourning over his father. After a year, though, his mother pressed him to get on with getting married.

Mei-ling had been a sweet and obedient wife, pleasant to be around, her sole desire to make him comfortable and happy. He had no complaints about her; but he had never completely stopped wondering about Mulan. He felt somewhat guilty about that, more so after Mei-ling died.

"General Li."

Shang turned to the owner of the voice that had broken off his sad reminisce. It was a soldier that he didn't recognize.

"I have a message for you from General Zhao."

Shang took the dispatch from him.

"Thank you."

The soldier saluted him and Shang pointed him in the direction of the vacant tent that Captain Mao had been sleeping in.

"You can stay in that tent for the night."

"Thank you, General, but I must be getting back to Xiayi to meet up with General Zhao."

Shang went into his tent and sat by the lantern, unrolling the dispatch and reading it. General Zhao had reached Xiayi and they had already spoken to several of the people there, including two students from a Shangqiu calligraphy school.

'_These two young students came to Xiayi to buy ink and to deliver banners to the prefect of this village, which he ordered,'_ General Zhao had written. _'I saw the banners. The prefect ordered them and, though artfully done, there is nothing remarkable about them. The words on the banners are poetic and signify nothing to me, but they may be a code and these students may have been used unwittingly to deliver a message. We can't be too careful. When you reach Shangqiu I would advise you to check out this calligraphy school as well as the rest of that village.'_

"Ink and art work," Shang mused.

Captain Mao had reported the same thing about ink and art work trading hands. It was possible that the school was merely continuing its operations, in which case the students would need to restock things like ink.

"There must be a shortage that they need to visit so many different villages to obtain it," he laughed to himself.

General Zhao was right. They couldn't be too careful and there may have been more to this school than was obvious.

He decided that he would make sure the school was scouted carefully.

**xxxxxxx**

**Background of the Ballad**

There are many stories about various omens and prophecies that foretold the fall of the Sui Dynasty and the rise of the Tang. Along with these, there is an account of a ballad that appeared in the last years of Yang Di's rule that also foretold the fall of the house of Sui and the ascent of a man named Li as Emperor. It was a Daoist nursery rhyme that translated as follows: "A swan flies around Mount Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it."

It was considered prophetic and interpreted as such: "Li" suggested that someone surnamed Li would rise to be the Emperor. "Tao" signified Tao, which meant the surname "Taotang". Tao was omitted, leaving "Tang" and signifying that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui Dynasty and the "Li" who ascended to the throne would promote Daoism. "Mount Yang" meant Yang Di.

The ballad became immensely popular among the disaffected subjects under Yang Di's rule. According to this legend, Yang Di, being superstitious and believing in the prophecy, began a campaign to search out and execute anyone of importance with the surname Li because of it. He had numerous ministers and officials and their entire families put to death.

Li Yuan, a minor official who served in one of the provinces, was summoned to the court (along with the other Li's summoned), but failed to appear, claiming poor health. He knew that if he obeyed the summons to court he would never return. He feigned madness and pretended to become an incorrigible drunk. When the Imperial spies reported Li Yuan's behavior to Emperor Yang, the Emperor thought that a madman could never fulfill the prophecy and he was no longer suspicious of Li Yuan. A couple of years later Emperor Yang placed him in charge of a field army to defend the Empire against incursions from the north. Li Yuan fought bravely, won the respect of his troops and marched on the capital. He placed a new Emperor on the throne and Yang Di fled to Jiangdu where he was eventually assassinated by one of his aides. Li Yuan then deposed the puppet Emperor that he had placed on the throne and went on to become Emperor, founding the illustrious Tang Dynasty, thus fulfilling the prophecy (and he did promote Daoism in his rule – in fact, a Daoist priest named Li Chun-feng was said to have helped him attain the throne and Li Chun-feng then served in his court).

Sources: chinastrategies website, wanderingtaoist website.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks again to all for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 6_

Mulan groaned as she became conscious, gaining awareness of the headache and the dryness of her mouth instantly. Going out to that tavern and drinking so much every night was taking its toll on her. She and Ao-li had been in Xiayi for over a week now and there was not one night that they hadn't spent in that bar. She now knew the entire ballad about Mount Luo and Li by heart.

That same general was still hanging around the village, too, which made her somewhat nervous. He never bothered them again, but she was uneasy with his presence as was her companion.

She opened her eyes and glanced at the transparent screens surrounding her. The room in this school was just like the room she had in the calligraphy school. It had been very kind of the master of the school to put them up each night. And they had each been given their own space; she'd been concerned that they would be sharing for lack of space, especially since there was now a third guest at the school.

The other guest's name was Li Meng-shi. He was a Daoist priest, a tall, slight man in his twenties with graceful features and an ethereal essence and character. He'd arrived the previous morning, before the sun was up to meet with Prefect Liu, and had come to the school for lodging and to join the leaders of the movement in that village in their discussions. It was believed that he could tell fortunes and read signs and omens.

She heard voices in quiet conversation filtering through the screens and she sat up slowly, wanting to listen. She couldn't make out the words though. With another groan she helped herself to standing and threw a robe on over her rumpled tunic. She crept out of her small room and padded out to the main room barefooted, where Li Meng-shi was sitting with Ao-li and one of the leaders of the organization in Xiayi.

They gestured a greeting to her as she joined them, and took the cup she was offered, pouring herself water to drink from the pitcher on the table.

"I'm on my way to Shanxi after I leave here," Li Meng-shi was saying. "There are strange portents at that province. The city of Taiyuan to be exact."

"And you think that's where the Mandated Son of Heaven is?" Ao-li asked, fascinated.

"The signs point to that. I am going to find him and give him aid in attaining the throne. When he comes into power there will be a new Dynasty. There will be peace in the land then and conditions will improve for the people."

"You must be familiar with the song that everyone is singing then?"

The priest nodded. "The Li that they are singing about is the name of the man who will become the Emperor."

"But they're talking about plums, not a man," Ao-li argued.

"It's symbolic. You have to look at all the words together to divine the meaning."

"You're a Li as well," Mulan commented softly.

He laughed. "Yes, there are many of us. But I'm a priest, not the Mandated Son of Heaven. It is merely my destiny to find him."

"It's such a long way to Taiyuan from here."

"Yes. It will take me several months to get there, especially in this weather."

"We can take you northwest to Shangqiu when we leave here," she offered. "We're on horseback. You can ride with one of us and that will save you some of the walk. It's not much, just a very small segment of your journey…"

"Thank you. Even just a very small part helps. If I am able to leave at that time I will take you up on your offer."

**xxxxxxx**

Prefect Liu finished hanging the two banners back up on the wall behind his desk and he stepped back now and admired them. He'd experimented with the placement of them all week long; one below the other, then reverse, then this one to the left of the other, now to the right. He'd figured out the message in them days ago and he now arranged the banners in a way that it wouldn't be obvious.

He turned back to his desk when he was finished and sat down, beginning to look over his paperwork while he waited for his expected visitor. He looked up as one of his servants appeared a while later.

"General Zhao is here, Prefect."

"Have him come in."

The servant led the general into the room a few moments later.

"Good morning, Prefect."

"Good morning, General Zhao," he answered. "Would you like some tea?"

"Thank you."

His servant bowed and left the room to fetch the tea. The prefect engaged the general in casual small talk about their families for several minutes, then General Zhao's gaze fell on the banners hanging on the wall behind the desk and he gestured to them.

"I see that those two young men have brought you your banners."

"You met them?"

"Yes, one night in the tavern when I first arrived. I've still been seeing them around."

"Mm. They didn't want to travel in this inclement weather."

"Very wise."

Liu nodded and beckoned to him.

"Come and have a look, General. Master Jiang Kai-fu is a true artist. One of the young men is his son, Jiang Hu."

The general approached the wall and scrutinized the banners again.

"I saw them already, but spread out on a table rather than hanging on a wall. Jiang Hu and the other boy showed them to me that night. Xu Ao-li is the other one's name."

"You have a good memory for names, General."

Liu stacked his paperwork and set it aside. The general strolled back to the seat across from him and sat down as the servant returned with the tea and began to serve it.

"I got the message that you wanted to see me this morning."

General Zhao nodded, remaining silent, waiting for the servant to finish serving the tea and leave. Then he cleared his throat.

"My troop is headed toward Jiangdu," he began when the servant had gone, "but I wanted to see my old friend before we moved out this morning. And warn you that there is trouble brewing. There are many rumors of rebellion in this area."

The prefect frowned. "Yes, I've heard the rumors; about uprisings in this area and in many areas of the Middle Kingdom. It's quiet here, however. The only noise heard in this little village of ours is in the tavern."

"Yes, and that is quite a lively tavern," the general laughed.

"That's because we have very good musicians playing there."

"They seemed to be proficient. Of course, I have ears of stone, so my taste in music is not very discerning."

The general lifted his cup and took a swig of tea.

"Your troop is all ready to go, General?"

"Yes. As soon as I leave here I'll be rejoining them and we'll be moving off."

"You have a rough journey ahead of you. The snow storm ended but it is still very cold."

"We've been through worse."

He finished off his tea and set the cup down.

"Keep your eyes and ears open, my friend. These are turbulent times."

"Quite."

"If there is anything to report…"

Prefect Liu laughed. "General, you know that I'm just a local official, and a simple man. A small fish, if you will."

General Zhao began to chuckle also. "Don't underestimate yourself, Prefect."

He bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment. "I will report anything that I learn to you."

"Keep an eye on those two students while they're here, too. They may be involved, even inadvertently."

Liu looked at him quizzically. "They seemed like perfectly innocent young men to me. Jiang Hu can't be more than fourteen and he's so small and slight I can't imagine him being a threat to anyone. But then again that is why you are Luo Di's highly trusted general and I am just a local prefect."

General Zhao laughed again. "It's a precaution, my friend. After all they _are_ from the village that we've determined to be the most likely base in this area. Shangqiu."

"Ah, so that's why you remembered their names so well. Master Jiang Kai-fu is a good friend of mine. He is an artist not an activist. But I will keep my eyes and ears open."

"Also, there is a traitor that has fled the service of the Emperor. He has issued an order for her execution."

"_Her_ execution?"

"Hua Mulan."

"Hua Mulan. Ah, yes, the girl who ran off and joined the army in her father's place a few years ago."

"She became a member of Wu Di's council after that and stayed on as council to Luo Di. She deserted recently. She is from Shangqiu."

"But you think she may come here instead of going to her hometown?"

"Anything is possible."

"What is the Emperor's exact order? Just in case she decides to stroll into my quarters here."

General Zhao chuckled. "Always sarcastic, Liu."

"You'd be surprised at the visitors I get," he replied wryly.

"Oh?"

"I was recently visited by a Daoist priest."

"Indeed?"

Liu nodded. "He told me my fortune and spoke of omens and signs of things to come in our land. But back to the subject at hand. Luo Di's exact order regarding Hua Mulan?"

"His order is that she be brought to the Imperial palace for execution. Or executed on the spot, in which case her head is to be brought instead."

"I will send a message to you at Jiangdu if I come across her or if I have any other information to report."

The general shook his head. "No. Have your messenger go to Shangqiu. General Li Shang is assigned to this area with his troop. You will find them camped in the forest outside of that village. Be sure to make the others in this village aware."

"I will do that."

General Zhao rose and bowed to him and the prefect followed suit.

"It was good to see you. Perhaps I will be able to visit again when we return this way."

"I'll look forward to that. Safe journey, General Zhao."

The general left the room and Liu took his seat again, beginning to sift through the papers he'd set aside. His servant returned several minutes later.

"The general is gone, Prefect."

"Thank you."

Donning a heavy coat Liu left his quarters, exiting through the back way and walking toward the school where the two students from Shangqiu and the organizers of his village were waiting for him along with the priest that had come to visit him the day before. There was much to discuss before the three visitors left Xiayi.

**xxxxxxx**

Shang and his troop had just arrived in the forest outside of Shangqiu and were setting up camp when Captain Mao and the two other scouts arrived.

"We followed the trail and it led here to Shangqiu, General."

"Where exactly?"

"There's a tavern in town…"

"A tavern?" Shang repeated, taken aback. He had been sure that Captain Mao was going to say the calligraphy school.

"Yes, sir. We kept our distance and watched them unload everything and bring it in there. We can go back there tonight…"

"The three of you have had enough fun and your two fellow scouts look like they haven't been sober since before they went into Sui Xian the first night. I will go into town and you will stay here in command."

Captain Mao stared at him silently, suppressing the sour expression that flickered across his face for an instant.

Shang folded his arms and returned his stare with narrowed eyes. He knew that the man resented the fact that he answered to someone younger. The captain returned his gaze coolly.

"What are your orders for me here then, General?" he asked dispassionately.

"Set up a rotation to keep watch through tonight and tomorrow. We restocked much of our supplies in Zhengzhou, but it would be a good idea to take inventory."

"Very good. Do you know which men you will take with you tonight? I will be sure to not add them to the rotation."

"I won't be taking anyone. I'm going alone."

Captain Mao's expression as he gazed at him was one of doubt and suspicion. Mao opened his mouth to speak, looking as if he were about to argue but then stopped himself as he caught Shang's stern glower. The young general had been completely taken aback by the man's impudence.

"Is there a problem?" he demanded.

"With all due respect, sir, are you sure that it's wise to go by yourself?"

"I have my reasons for going alone. Thank you for your concern."

His captain nodded but the look of doubt remained on his face. Shang stared at him coldly for a few moments then spoke curtly.

"I will return tomorrow evening. You're dismissed, Captain."

Mao saluted hand over fist and turned on his heel. Shang watched him as he stalked off, feeling somewhat uneasy about this man that had been thrust on him as his second in command. He didn't like the suspicious expression that he'd seen on the man's face, as if he didn't trust his judgment. And there was something else that Shang couldn't put his finger on. He supposed he simply resented having the man forced on him instead of being allowed to choose his own second in command. Still, the interchange that had just occurred gave him an uneasy feeling about this captain.

He walked through the camp, inspecting the troop and watching Captain Mao as he began to set up the rotation for the night. When he was certain that things were under control and running smoothly he went to his tent and removed his armor. Donning plain traveling clothes he set off for the village on foot. His horse was an Imperial stallion and would be quite obvious.

It was only a half hour's walk into the village center and to his good fortune the weather was milder that evening. Rather than the bitter ice cold and wind that had been plaguing them for so many weeks the air this night was pleasantly bracing, crisp and fresh. His journey to town was silent save for the sound of the crunching of the hardened snow under his boots.

The tavern in the village was packed already when he arrived. The tables were full and many men were standing around in groups, drinks in hand, singing along with the musicians that were performing. Shang remained near the doorway observing the scene.

He recognized the words to the song that the musicians were playing. It was the same odd song that Captain Mao and the other two scouts had been singing when they staggered back into camp after their first night in Sui Xian about Mount Luo and plums.

He shrugged, wondering why this song had become so popular everywhere. It was a nice enough tune, but nothing spectacular compared to other music he'd heard. He pushed his way through the crowd and stepped up to the bar.

The man behind the bar approached him to take his order but Shang just shook his head.

"I'm looking for a place to stay for the night. Have you a vacant room in the inn upstairs?"

He nodded and beckoned to a man that was seated at the edge of the bar nursing a drink. Shang was led upstairs to see the room and after agreeing to the price and handing the man money he began to settle in. The man knocked several minutes later and brought him water and a basin to wash, then left again for the night.

Shang stood by the window and gazed down at the street, beginning to plan his next step. He would find out where the calligraphy school was and pay a visit in the morning then explore other places in the village. Any shop or tavern could be the base of operation. Even someone's private home. His plan was to casually explore Shangqiu and then assign scouts to stake out each spot that seemed suspicious.

News of the Emperor's order had no doubt reached this village though, and he was sure that if anyone knew where Mulan was they wouldn't tell him. He didn't know what he was going to do when he found her; if he found her. But he wanted to discover her whereabouts before anyone else did.

He also pondered going to Hua Zhou's home and talking to him. Perhaps the retired general would have some inkling of what was going on in that village. And though he didn't expect that the man would tell him anything about where his daughter was, maybe he would be able to pick up some sort of hint from conversing with him.

He sighed. He probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight, despite the fact that he was in more comfortable lodgings rather than lying on the ground in a tent. The ruckus downstairs in the tavern hadn't died down; in fact it had continued to crescendo as the night went on and he could see that some of the patrons were now gathered outside in the street below, laughing and speaking loudly and animatedly.

Three figures on horseback caught his attention. They were slowly passing by the tavern and the man facing him was gesturing toward it. Another man was seated on the horse behind him but his head was covered with a hood so his face couldn't be seen. He couldn't see the face of the other, smaller figure that was on the second horse either, for he had his back to the tavern. But he could see him shake his head. Shang found himself watching them intently as they conversed. But they continued on without stopping.

**xxxxxxx**

Prefect Liu had warned them about the troop stationed in the forest outside of their village, among other things, and as they approached the outskirts of their village they kept on their guard. It was night and the darkness shielded them though; and from what they'd been told, the troop was in the forest to the west of the village and they were coming from the southeast, so they felt that they were pretty safe. The school was to the north.

Li Meng-shi was seated on Ao-li's horse behind him, a large cloak wrapped around him and his hood covering his head.

"We should just go into town and then head due north from there," Ao-li muttered quietly. "That way we can avoid the forest and any Imperial guards."

Mulan nodded. "Agreed," she answered quietly. "It's the most direct route anyway."

The only sound in the night was their horses' hooves in the snow from then on until they trotted into the center of town.

"Do you want to stop and get a drink?" Ao-li suggested, gesturing as they were passing the village tavern whose patrons were spilling out into the street at this point. "The tavern seems lively tonight."

"I think we should get back to the school with our stuff. There were Imperial soldiers in Xiayi, so there will definitely be soldiers here; they suspect that this town is the base. I wouldn't want to be caught carrying the stuff we have."

"It's just ink and the books that the headmaster of the school gave us. Books for studying for the civil service exams."

"There's something else hidden in them."

"But they don't know that."

"I'm not so sure. That general in Xiayi was no dummy. He looked those banners over carefully and then he stayed in town for the entire time we were there. We need to be careful. Besides, it's my head they're all after."

"You're Jiang Hu. You look like him, you are him. You really don't have to worry."

"I still may be recognized. There's at least one general who will recognize me if he's around. He spent time with me when I was dressed this way before."

She sighed, noting the disappointment in his face.

"I just have a hunch I shouldn't go in there tonight. Look, if you want to go in I'll take your stuff back for you."

Ao-li sighed too now. "No, you shouldn't be riding back alone at night. Anyway, you're right. We ought to get back to the school."

She turned to Li Meng-shi. "You said you were planning to find a place to stay in town. But our school is to the north of here. I'm sure we can put you up and you can meet Hua Zhou, the famous general. I'm sure he would like to talk to you."

"Yes, I think I would like to talk to him. I have heard a lot about the famous retired General Hua Zhou."

He remained mounted on Ao-li's horse and they rode north, leaving the village behind them and hurrying toward their home.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all for continuing to read and review. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 7_

Mulan paced nervously in the dim hallway, lit only by a small lantern. Master Jiang had been in the study with Li Meng-shi for hours, conversing with him in private. The books that she and Ao-li had brought home from Xiayi were in the room with them and she could only guess that they were poring over them together. But he hadn't given anyone else in the school a clue as to what was going on or who Li Meng-shi really was. She was becoming more uneasy as the hours passed and she was beginning to debate whether she should saddle up her horse and ride out to her family's home to talk to her father. He would no doubt show up there in the morning, but she was gripped by the fear that maybe that would be too late.

It was the middle of the night and chances were she wouldn't be seen. She decided to wait a little bit longer.

"Mulan," a whisper sounded in the dark and she started.

She recovered herself as Ao-li stepped out of his quarters and joined her.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor with all of your pacing," he remarked softly.

"Call me Hu. Even here, especially since Li Meng-shi is here now."

"What are you so worried about?"

"Master Jiang has been in there for hours with him."

"That makes you nervous?"

"I don't know. I want to talk to my father and find out if he knows who he is."

"Why don't we go for a walk outside? Maybe it'll take your mind off of it."

She gazed uneasily at the closed paper screen sealing off the study at the end of the long hall then nodded, reluctantly agreeing to go out for a walk.

They walked to the front door and stepped out. It wasn't that cold tonight but they had both come out without coats. They strolled through the front courtyard, taking in the fresh air and admiring the clear night sky that was covered with stars, all visible.

"It hasn't been this clear for days," he remarked.

Mulan was about to answer him when something caught her eye across the open field. It looked like a man on a horse. She stopped and seized his arm, causing him to halt as well and to stare at her in shock, taken aback by her forward gesture of contact.

"There's someone out there. We have to let Master Jiang know that the school is being watched."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't be obvious about looking, but I can see what looks like a man on a horse across the field from here, where the trees are."

They strolled up to the gate and pretended to casually look out at the horizon.

"I don't see anything out there."

"Maybe he realized he was seen. He's gone now, but I know what I saw. We must have been followed here."

"Either that or someone caught onto this school independent of our movements. Do you think anyone was trailing Li Meng-shi?"

"I don't know. We have to talk to the master in private first."

He nodded. "And your father will be here tomorrow I think."

"Yes. I was thinking about going to see him tonight, but in light of this I'd better wait until he comes here."

They both remained motionless for a long time, gazing out toward the horizon, not wanting to appear uneasy. Then they turned and strolled casually back inside. The screen to the study was open now and Ao-li went to find Master Jiang.

Mulan waited in the study and several minutes later the two men appeared.

"You saw someone watching the school?" the master asked as Ao-li closed the screen.

She nodded. "He was on horseback. Is there any chance that he might have been following Li Meng-shi?"

"Anything is possible," Master Jiang said with a concerned frown, taking a seat at the table.

"Do you know anything about him?"

"He told me that he used to work in the palace as a spiritual advisor to Wu Di."

"What about after Wu Di's death?"

"He left. I don't know why. Your father will be here tomorrow morning and he may have more information about him. In the mean time we all need to watch our comings and goings. And we should have someone watching the entrances at all times, starting tomorrow morning. If any soldiers come around, Mulan, you're to hide yourself in the cellar."

"Agreed, but what if they search the cellar?"

"Good point," Ao-li commented.

"Ao-li, you and one of the other boys be ready to cover up the trapdoor to the cellar the minute she's hidden inside."

"That'll work."

Mulan nodded. That would work but she was hoping she wouldn't have to be in that cellar like that for very long. She was pretty sure that knowing that the one way out was blocked would make her feel extremely claustrophobic.

They dispersed. She bid them goodnight and went off to her quarters, finally settling wearily into bed after this long night.

**xxxxxxx**

Captain Mao scanned the room, studying each of the students' faces carefully. There were young men and women working, their heads bent over their practice slabs, the sound of scratching pens interrupted only by his own voice and that of the old master.

"Are these all of your students?" he asked.

"There are two who are not here right now," Master Jiang answered serenely, though Captain Mao still sensed the man's uneasiness. "My son Jiang Hu and another boy Xu Ao-li have gone to run an errand in town."

"Who else lives here besides you and these students?"

"That's everyone."

"You have no visitors here at this time?"

"Oh, yes. A visiting student. He arrived late last night and has not risen yet this morning."

"Who is he?"

"His name is Meng. He's a man of the cloth but he has come to study with me."

The captain began to stride down the length of the room, looking at each of the students carefully, stepping up to one young boy with a face that was far too pretty for a boy's face. He brought his hand under the boy's chin, lifting it in order to get a good look at him. The boy stared back at him blankly. Captain Mao seized his arm and yanked him to his feet.

"You look like you could be a girl," he remarked, beginning to drag him off.

"Honorable Captain. To what do we owe the honor of this visit?"

Captain Mao stopped and turned, setting eyes on the man that had addressed him, a tall, lean man that leaned on a bamboo cane.

"I'm looking for one who has betrayed the Emperor. There is an order out for her capture and execution and she is believed to be from this village and hiding in the vicinity. Who are you?"

"I'm Hua Zhou."

"Her father."

"Excuse me?"

"It's your daughter that we're looking for. She must have come here to this village."

He looked at the boy whose arm he was still grasping roughly. The boy had remained bravely silent but his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"This wouldn't be her by any chance, would it?"

"That is Wang Sheng, the son of Wang Xiao, and I can assure you that there is no need to perform an examination of him."

Captain Mao released the dazed boy, who recovered after a moment and stumbled back to his seat.

"Come," Hua Zhou said, beckoning for him to follow. "Let's talk in private."

Captain Mao was led into a small study and he sat down across from the retired general that he'd heard so much about. "You know where she is."

The father shook his head. A pained expression seemed to have permeated his face and his posture seemed to be suddenly slouched. "No. She would never come home to me after betraying the Emperor. She knows that she would not be welcomed back into our house after doing such a thing. As far as I'm concerned she's dead and I'm in mourning. If you don't mind, I do not wish to talk about this subject anymore."

Captain Mao studied the man carefully.

"What about this Meng fellow?" he asked, changing the subject.

He received a blank look.

"I was told he just arrived here," Mao continued. "Maybe you haven't met him yet."

"No, I haven't."

"What brings you here to this school, Honorable Hua Zhou? Are you a student?"

"I'm a patron."

"A patron?"

"Yes. Times are hard for some people, including this school. I highly value this art and I don't wish to see it die. I've therefore been funding the schools of the village during this difficult time since I have the means. This one has been here for a long time and Master Jiang is an old friend of mine. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Captain Mao shook his head. "Not at this time. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

"It is an honor to assist an officer of the Imperial army. I wish you safe travel from here, Captain."

**xxxxxxx**

Shang paused outside of the gate, debating whether this was the right thing to do. He had his orders and if he blew this mission in any way it would mean his head. Still, he'd been here three years ago and the retired general had been a friend of his father. There was nothing suspicious or wrong about a casual visit to his father's friend.

The entire morning had been spent roaming the village and familiarizing himself with the taverns and shops as well as the procurers, and he'd formulated a plan in his mind about how he would bring his scouts in and covertly matriculate them into village life. Now, just after noon, he stood before the outer gate of the Hua home, pondering his approach. After all, he would somewhat be intruding on the former general; the man had chosen to settle in this small village for a reason, wishing to remove himself from the bustling, public scene of the capital and opting for a more private life.

He would start the conversation out easily, maybe even seek advice from the much more seasoned veteran. He would play it by ear once they were sitting together and talking as to what topics he broached. As for asking him about Mulan, he'd definitely have to feel out the situation first. He imagined that this would be a much more sensitive subject for Hua Zhou; it certainly was for him.

"May I help you?"

Shang started. He'd been lost in his thoughts and hadn't seen the man with the cane that he remembered from three years before approach him.

"Honorable Hua Zhou," he exclaimed, bowing to him.

"General Li. I recognize you from last time, even in plain clothes. You look like your father. It's good to see you again. And congratulations. I believe that you are the youngest general we've ever had in the army. I'm gratified to see that General Li Kong's son has achieved the same noble rank. You're quite deserving of it."

"Thank you, sir."

"But you did not come here for praise, General. You seem to have something on your mind. What brings you to my home?"

Shang studied the man carefully, wondering suddenly if the former general might not only have information on the rebels in this area but was perhaps involved with them. But that didn't seem possible. The man couldn't fight anymore and he'd been a loyal general of Wu Di. As for Mulan, Hua Zhou probably wouldn't tell him if his daughter had come home.

"General?"

"Uh, if it's alright, I would like to speak with you, Honorable Hua Zhou."

"Of course. As it happens, there are some things I need to share with you as well. It's quite fortunate that you have found your way here."

Shang's eyebrow went up. What would the man have to tell him? He didn't believe he would be giving his daughter up.

"Come on inside and join me for lunch, General Li. Then we'll talk."

He beckoned Shang to follow and they walked through the gate and into the house, removing their boots and leaving them just inside the doorway. Shang removed his coat then and hung it up next to where Hua Zhou had hung his up.

"Zhou?" a woman called out from somewhere in the house.

"We have a guest for lunch, Li," he called out in response.

Shang followed him to the dining room and took the seat that Hua Zhou gestured for him to take at the table, which had already been set for lunch.

"An old friend."

Hua Li emerged from the kitchen with a pot of tea and an extra cup for the guest.

"Madam Hua," Shang greeted her bowing.

"You remember General Li, don't you? He was Captain Li when we last saw him."

"It's good to see you again, General Li. I will bring lunch right out."

She set the cup down before Shang and poured tea for both of them then hurried back into the kitchen and Shang sat in silence, waiting for Hua Zhou to speak first.

"How have you been, General?" he asked finally. "I understand that you've been stationed in the capital."

"Yes, sir, I have been."

"And now you've been rotated to border patrol?"

Shang swallowed his tea somewhat nervously and set his cup down, forming the words in his mind carefully before speaking them. He wasn't really sure where Hua Zhou stood and didn't want to give away too much. He also didn't want to be obviously reticent with him about it. After all, he'd come to speak with him and had been invited to lunch.

"There are rumors of rebellions all over the land. The Emperor has sent several troops to fight them. My troop is one of the ones assigned to this province."

"I see."

There was something about being in the presence of older, seasoned veterans with more experience than him that made him feel like a young boy again, especially when they were men that had known and fought with his father. He had noticed it with General Zhao and now with the retired general Hua Zhou. They almost seemed to become fatherly toward him; he supposed he perceived it that way because he had lost his own father. And he still felt like a young novice who didn't really fit the general's uniform yet when he was around them, and it made him feel somewhat vulnerable and at a disadvantage.

Hua Li appeared with a large bowl of rice and one more empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks which she set down before Shang. Mulan's grandmother followed behind her with two other large bowls, one of meat and one of vegetables.

"General Li," the grandmother spoke up, smiling. "It's nice to see you."

Shang smiled back slightly, offering a polite greeting to her.

The men were served first, then the two women served themselves and joined them at the table. They ate in silence at first, then Hua Zhou broke the ice finally and asked Shang about his experiences working in the capital.

When they had finished lunch, Shang thanked all of them for the delicious meal and the tea and followed Hua Zhou into another room where they sat together and talked.

"General Li, I received a visit from a man named Captain Mao. Is he part of your troop?"

"Captain Mao?" Shang repeated in angry disbelief.

"Yes. I was visiting one of the village's schools this morning and he came in. He was asking questions. I answered him as best as I could."

"He's in my troop," he answered, keeping his tone even but fuming inside. "But he was supposed to remain at camp, in command. He didn't have orders to go anywhere in this village and ask questions."

"I see. General, there is something else I have to tell you."

"Yes?"

"This is going to sound very strange, but I believe that you may be in danger."

Shang stared at him stunned. "What makes you think that, sir?"

"I believe that the Emperor is killing men of importance with the name Li. And their families. He's doing so in order to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy."

He stared at the retired general, observing him carefully. The man looked to be in earnest but Shang couldn't figure out where he'd heard it and how he had come up with such an idea.

"I…I don't know what to say," he finally stammered. "How did you come to believe something like this?"

"There's a ballad being sung in the taverns in the villages that has become quite popular. It's about this prophecy. The Emperor believes in it and he has been putting men with the surname Li, and their families, to death."

"How do you know about it?"

"From someone who was working in the palace and witnessed it."

Shang didn't need to ask him who it was.

"Mulan," he said softly.

A look of uneasiness flickered across Hua Zhou's features but he quickly suppressed it.

"Is she here, sir?"

"No, she isn't."

He opened his mouth to speak again but stopped himself. He was sure Hua Zhou knew about the order for her execution and he realized that he probably shouldn't even mention it.

"But I can tell you, General Li, that it's the reason that she left her service to the Emperor."

"Oh."

Shang's mind was racing suddenly, wondering where she was now and about this ballad that Hua Zhou was talking about. The story seemed to be a completely outrageous one and he was also wondering if the retired general was pulling his leg in an effort to distract him from pursuing and capturing his daughter.

Mulan had a strong sense of honor. She'd risked her own life and appeared in the Imperial City to warn him that Shan-Yu was alive, even though it could have meant her death. Ever since he'd heard that she left the Imperial palace he knew that she must have had a good reason. But this? It all seemed so far-fetched.

"General Li?"

Shang looked at him blankly.

"I advise you to take my warning seriously. Even if there is no basis for this prophecy, the Emperor believes in it and is acting on it. You may be in danger because of your surname."

"Sir, where did this prophecy come from?"

"Supposedly Daoist priests came up with it based on signs and omens that they read."

Shang fell silent, at a loss as to what else to say to this. All he could think was that the whole thing seemed to be something that had been concocted by Hua Zhou to confuse him. He began to seriously wonder now if he was indeed part of the rebellion.

"This Captain Mao that serves under you, General. He was obviously searching for Mulan. He's not a cautious fellow. Nor is he subtle."

"No, he isn't, and he doesn't follow orders," Shang replied, his blood beginning to boil again as he thought of his second in command disobeying him and taking it on himself to visit one of the schools and start asking questions. Not only had he defied him, he'd also made it obvious that there were soldiers around when his original plan was to be covert. He was going to give it to him when he returned to camp.

"What made you choose him as your captain?"

"I didn't," he replied with a scowl, his anger showing in both his face and his voice now. "The Emperor demanded that I take him on as my second in command."

Hua Zhou nodded sympathetically. "That's a difficult situation. I've been there myself. Sometimes the Emperor has his own ideas of how he wants something done. It's not for us to question."

"No."

"General, I am aware of the order to execute my daughter. You realize that even if I knew where she was I couldn't hand her over to you."

Shang started, surprised by his directness about the situation.

"I know," he found himself answering him. "It's just that…well, all of the generals have orders to capture her. I…had hoped that I could be the one to find her first." He caught himself and looked at him, quickly attempting to explain himself. "It's not that I want to be the one to capture her…or to execute…I just want to talk to her."

"And then what? Would you defy the Emperor's decree in order to spare her life?"

Shang didn't answer. He'd defied an Imperial decree before, but then her only crime was being a woman really. Now she'd actually fled the Emperor's service. The moral implication of refusing to capture and execute her was different this time.

Hua Zhou cleared his throat and Shang turned his attention back to him.

"You came here to talk to me, and I'm afraid I've monopolized the conversation, asking you all the questions."

"That's alright," Shang replied distractedly.

"You have a difficult task ahead of you, General, and I don't envy your position. It's easy to fight an enemy. It's a whole other thing to have to battle your own fellow countrymen, and that's what you'll be doing now. I know a little bit about what is happening in surrounding villages. People are having a hard time making a living now, some are unable to eat. They're not our enemies, they're not criminals."

"I know." Shang sighed. His thoughts went to the devastated farms and other sights he'd seen on his way here and to the boy that he'd helped in Zhengzhou. "I've seen what it's like."

He sighed again and the retired general patted his shoulder in a fatherly manner.

"You will have many tough decisions to make, moral decisions. With each crisis you will have to figure out which is the right choice to make, for you. Consider every possible decision carefully so that afterward you can live with the choices that you make. The right one isn't always the one that you might have been trained to believe. And it isn't always the obvious one. You're an honorable man, General, and you know your duty. I have no doubt that when the time comes you will do what's right and honorable."

Shang stood up and bowed to Hua Zhou.

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time, sir. Thank you for lunch and for speaking with me. I appreciate your advice."

"It was an honor to have you here, General Li."

Hua Zhou stood up with the aid of his cane, then led him out toward the front door and waited as Shang put his coat and his boots back on.

"Good luck with your mission. And, General Li, I hope you will heed my warning. Watch your back."

"Thank you. I will."

**xxxxxxx**

Hua Zhou watched the young general pass through the gate.

"Well, that was a nice surprise," Grandma Hua remarked as she stepped out into the hallway with a grin.

He sighed and nodded.

"Well, what do you think? Did you tell him where Mulan is?"

"No, Ma, I didn't tell him where she is."

"Do you really think that boy would kill her? Or bring her back anywhere to be killed?"

"No. I think he is no more likely to kill her than you are."

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to all for continuing to read and special thanks to those who have reviewed. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 8_

It took every ounce of self-control that Shang possessed for him to refrain from beating Captain Mao to a pulp as he confronted him back at camp that evening. He towered over his subordinate, fists clenched, barking at the captain as he stood at attention since he'd never ordered him to stand at ease, his expression a mixture of defiance and smugness. It was all Shang could do to not wipe that look off of his face with a swift backhand to it. At times he began to pace back and forth, fists still clenched, to channel the fury that threatened to overtake him.

"I told you to stay in command of the camp. How dare you disobey my order! And you left the troop without a commanding officer! I should run a sword through you for that, and if anything had happened to anyone in this camp, that's exactly what I would do now!"

He began to pace.

"And now you've gone and made our presence known by barging into that school and asking questions."

"With all due respect, General…"

"I didn't give you permission to speak yet, Captain!" he snapped, stopping in front of him again and getting right in his face.

Captain Mao stood down but there was fire in his eyes as he remained at attention, meeting his general's gaze despite his proximity to him. Shang stepped back and folded his arms, glaring at him, his jaw clenched.

"We need to find out who the leader is and my idea was to go in covertly and gather that information. Thanks to you, now they know we're here. We're not just here to capture her. We've also been charged with stopping a rebellion that hasn't started yet."

"Permission to speak, General?"

With a sharp snap of his wrist he gestured for Mao to go ahead.

"The troop was not left without someone commanding them. I asked Captain Liang Sheng-hui to take charge. He is a good leader and trustworthy."

"Yes, he is, but you still had no place doing what you did."

"General Li, I went to the calligraphy school. That's the starting and ending point of the ink and art work…"

Shang cut him off.

"We already know that."

"My point is that even though we don't have solid proof yet, I'm sure that the school is where they're based. There's no reason why we can't just go right to the school and attack."

"You're suggesting that we surround the school and just rain arrows down on it?"

"Yes. She's there, General."

"What?"

"Hua Mulan is in that school."

Shang's eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?"

"A gut feeling. Her father was there."

"What? What was he doing there?"

"He's supposedly a patron of the school; he gives them money to keep it going. But I wouldn't be too sure of that. Also there were two students who were 'not there'. That old man claimed that one of them was his son and the other one was a boy from the school. But either one of those 'boys' could be her. And if they are harboring her, they're just as guilty for doing so, even if they have nothing to do with the rebellion. We would be raining arrows down on traitors."

"And if that isn't the case we'll be killing a school full of innocent kids. If they are involved, by alerting them to the fact that we're watching them you've given them the opportunity to fold up shop and to warn others. It's not just this village; there is a network involving several villages and we need to uncover all of them. I've sent scouts to those villages, but if those people are warned because of this they won't find out anything. Besides, you still disobeyed my order. You had no business going there without my permission."

"I apologize, General," Captain Mao said, bowing respectfully.

Releasing a sigh of exasperation, Shang addressed his subordinate firmly.

"I have to think about how this situation can be salvaged. Originally I wanted to send someone in there as a student to work with them and find out what's going on from the inside. But they will be suspicious of any newcomers now. You're confined to your tent tonight. And if you pull anything like this again my punishment will be swift and harsh. If the Emperor hadn't ordered me to take you as my second in command I would demote you right now. Dismissed."

His captain saluted him then turned on his heel and exited the tent. Cursing profusely he knelt down behind the low makeshift desk he'd procured for himself and slammed his fists down on the wood. It released some of his rage and frustration but he couldn't completely rid himself of the stymied feeling. Shang knew he had every right to run a sword through Mao for disobeying him and completely screwing things up, yet alone demote him in rank. But the damned captain was somehow connected to the Emperor, and even though he was the superior officer he knew without a doubt that he had to tread carefully when it came to Captain Mao. His hands were tied and that infuriated him.

He rested his elbows on the desk now and lowered his head into his hands, allowing his breath out in a slow, easing exhale. He raised himself up when he heard a voice address him outside of his tent.

"Enter."

Seven men that he'd summoned stepped into the tent and saluted him, then stood at attention. These were men that he'd judged to be the most keen and discreet and he had picked them to be his scouts. He gave them instructions and sent them off to scout the village of Shangqiu.

Scouts had already been sent back to Sui Xian and ahead to Xiayi and he now pondered the situation concerning the calligraphy school. The thought that Hua Zhou was involved in this had crossed his mind a few times now and the fact that Mao had run into him in the school disturbed him.

He mulled over an idea then stood up and went reluctantly to speak to his second in command.

**xxxxxxx**

"General Li came to see me this afternoon, Mulan," Hua Zhou told her. As usual they were conversing together in the private study.

Her heart leaped into her throat at the mention of him and the fact that he'd been in their house and she scolded herself inwardly for getting so excited about such a foolish thing. She was supposed to be forgetting about that, especially when they were faced with much more serious issues.

"I warned him about the prophecy and the ballad. I don't think he believed me about either. Also, our morning visitor Captain Mao is under his command and the general had no idea that he'd come here and asked questions. Apparently his orders were to stay at camp."

Knowing that there was a point to him telling her this, she refrained from answering and gazed at him expectantly, waiting for the rest of it.

"General Li didn't choose him. The Emperor forced him to take Captain Mao as his captain and second in command. I gave him what advice I could. I'm sure he'll be able to take care of himself."

Mulan bit her lip, her forehead creasing with worry. She didn't like the sound of what her father was telling her about Shang and Captain Mao.

"Captain Mao is going to be a problem, in more ways than one," he remarked, as if he'd read her thoughts. "You said that you and Ao-li ran into a general at Xiayi."

"Yes. He questioned us, but then he left us alone."

"Did he tell you his name?"

"No, but Prefect Liu knows him and he told us. Zhao. General Zhao."

"Good. That's information that will come in handy. I have an idea."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "There is a twenty-four hour watch set up here in the school but we need something better. General Li is sending scouts to watch us and to observe other places in the village, I'm sure."

"I'm sure."

"We should be scouting him, too. I'll at least arrange for someone to watch his camp tonight. And now, I've been coming some nights and teaching these young men and women to fight, but they haven't been able to see a physical demonstration. That's where you come in. You will demonstrate and also instruct them on the nights that I can't be here. Come on and let's get down to training."

Standing up and following him out to the courtyard at the back of the school she wondered if he really believed that she was qualified to teach them on her own. She certainly didn't have confidence in herself regarding that.

The courtyard in the back was well-hidden by a high stone wall that surrounded it on all sides away from the house, and though they had lit some lanterns to light up the area they were positioned low so as not to be too bright and draw attention to the area.

Her father kept his voice quiet, just loud enough for everyone to hear and Mulan demonstrated the martial arts movements while Hua Zhou moved through the lines with the aid of his cane fixing the students' forms as they needed and speaking to them about finding their center, posture and breath control.

"Just like calligraphy," one student quipped very softly.

Everyone heard though and a light wave of cautious laughter sounded from the group, even from Hua Zhou.

"That's exactly why you're all spending your days practicing calligraphy. Except for those of you on the night watch."

Silence came over the group again as they moved through their forms silently in imitation of Mulan.

"Your form is quite good, Mulan," her father remarked as they walked back inside at the end of the practice session. "Tomorrow night we'll work with swords."

"But I can tell that I'm not in as good shape as I was. I'm sure I'm going to feel this little workout in the morning."

Hua Zhou chuckled softly.

"Baba, do we have bows and arrows as well?"

"Yes, we do now. We'll work on archery later."

"I hope I remember. My aim at that used to be good, but it's been a few years."

An amused glint twinkled in her father's eyes as he gazed at her.

"How will you get home now? There's no carriage outside."

"I'm staying here tonight and tomorrow night. When Wei Wang comes to deliver a fresh supply of food the morning after that, I will return to town with him. I need to discuss several things with Li Meng-shi and I want to be here for the first couple of nights of real training."

"Who is Li Meng-shi? I mean, I know he's a Daoist priest, but Master Jiang said that he used to work at the palace. He looks so young."

"Yes, he is not even thirty yet. He came to be a spiritual advisor to Wu Di while I was in service still. He was very young at the time, only eighteen, but he is unusually gifted. I believe he left the palace immediately when Wu Di died."

"He didn't want to work for Luo Di?"

He shook his head. "I doubt it. He's a true visionary, Mulan, and he knew of things that were to come a few years before Wu Di's death. He had already foreseen then that there would only be two Emperors from this Dynasty, Wu Di and Luo Di."

"Then you believe in the prophecy."

"Yes. Li Meng-shi is going to seek the man that will be the Mandated Son of Heaven. When he comes into power and begins a new dynasty China will be unified, at peace, and very prosperous. The dynasty will last a much longer time."

"In Xiayi he mentioned that he saw signs over the province of Shanxi. Taiyuan specifically."

"That's why he's headed north. I need to make arrangements with him to help him get there quickly, and also find out as many details as I can from him about any other signs and his interpretation of them."

They stopped outside of the private study.

"Rest well. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"You, too. Goodnight, Baba."

"Goodnight."

Mulan stepped into her small room and lowered herself onto her pallet, gingerly rubbing a couple of muscles that she could feel she had strained slightly. But it wasn't pain that woke her in the early morning, as she had expected; rather, she was jarred awake by the sounds of slamming screens, running feet and yelling.

"Imperial soldiers! Led by a general!"

She sat up with a start, blinking and getting her bearings, then stood up. She threw her clothes on hastily and rushed out to see exactly what was going on.

"A group of Imperial soldiers is on their way here, led by a general who I can only assume is our very own General Li," her father told her as she ran into the main room. "One of our men on watch saw movement through the trees. They'll be across the field soon."

"I'll hide in the cellar."

"Ao-li, gather the others," Master Jiang called out. "Cover the trap door up the moment they're inside. I'm sure that they will be searching the entire building for weapons. Everyone else, to the tables. You should be working on your art when they arrive."

Puzzling over what he meant by 'after _they're_ inside' but pushing the question aside for now Mulan opened the trapdoor and hurried down the stairs. She was aware of someone following her and turned to see Li Meng-shi coming down the stairs behind her, followed by her father hobbling down as quickly as he could. As he ducked his head down below the level of the trap door it closed behind him. She heard something heavy being dragged along the floor above them then and felt her stomach begin to clench.

"Well, we might as well make ourselves comfortable," Hua Zhou remarked. "Who knows how long we'll be here."

"They may wonder where we keep our supplies," she remarked.

"We keep a large supply of food in the kitchen and they'll see it. We only store excess dry food down here, and really it's just packing for the weapons, as you saw. Everything will appear to be in order unless they move whatever they're covering the trapdoor with."

The three of them fell silent, listening, but it was impossible to hear anything other than creaking floorboards above them.

"Baba," Mulan began, wanting to speak to him about her concern with regard to Captain Mao and also wishing to take her mind off of the anxiety that was building up inside of her the longer she sat in the sealed off cellar. "What if the Emperor had ulterior motives for forcing General Li to take Captain Mao into his troop, and as second in command? He _is_ having everyone with the surname Li killed. What if Mao was sent by the Emperor to harm Shang?"

"Yes, the same thing occurred to me. I already arranged for a man to start watching Captain Mao last night."

"You did?"

"Yes. As I said, we should be scouting General Li and his troops, too and I'll be sending more scouts to watch them. But the man I sent last night was only ordered to follow Captain Mao's movements specifically."

Mulan smiled slightly and spoke up. "I'll volunteer to scout the troop."

"Yes, I expected you would, Daughter, but I'm afraid that would not be wise. The general and his entire troop are looking for you, as well as every other one of the Emperor's generals."

"And the last place they'll think I would go is anywhere near their troop," she argued quietly. "They wouldn't expect me to be right under their noses. I'll be careful."

She received an amazed stare from her father and Li Meng-shi began to laugh softly.

"Well, she obviously inherited your unique way of thinking, Zhou."

Hua Zhou sighed. "I need you to stay and help me train the students still, and I have my concerns about you going. But I'll give it some thought."

"That is if those soldiers up there don't discover this trapdoor," Li Meng-shi remarked, pointing up toward it. "If we're discovered, there won't be any need for any of that."

**xxxxxxx**

"General Li."

"Come in, Captain."

Captain Mao entered the tent and saluted. Shang gestured for him to sit across the low desk from him.

"Anything unusual to report?"

"No, sir. I drilled the men as you asked."

"Good. We did a search of the calligraphy school today and found nothing, just as I expected. If they have weapons there's a hidden place where they keep their store, one that we couldn't see and didn't have access to. I have no doubt about that."

A worried frown formed deep creases in the young general's face.

"Then we'll be carrying on with your plan that we discussed last night? To watch the school tonight?"

"Yes," Shang answered with a nod. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he replayed the scene in the main room of the school in his mind. "It was quite amazing actually how calm and cooperative they all were in there. The master had one of the students go with my men when they searched to answer any questions they might have had. The rest of them remained sitting there working, ignoring us all except when I addressed them directly. And that master just sat cross-legged on a platform in front of the room painting characters as if we weren't even there."

He sighed.

"If they are hiding weapons or anything else it will become apparent when they believe they aren't being watched. At least that's what I'm hoping. After today's search they will either be panicked or they'll think that since our search came up with nothing we won't return, in which case they'd become comfortable and sure of themselves. If they are afraid they may try to relocate the weapons tonight, after it gets dark."

"I'll go tonight and watch them," Mao volunteered.

"No," Shang answered sharply. "You will go nowhere near that school anymore unless I decide to move the troop to surround it. I'm going back there tonight. I want to observe the school before we make any plans to attack them and make certain for myself that there's a reason for it."

Captain Mao remained silent but he looked peeved. Shang fixed him with a steely stare.

"Alright, Captain, that's all. You're dismissed."

After sunset Shang prepared to depart from camp. Seeing that everything was in order there he saddled his stallion and rode off, skirting around the village as they'd done earlier, heading northeast to Master Jiang's calligraphy school.

As the open clearing came into view through the wooded area he stopped and dismounted, tying his stallion to one of the trees. He hiked across the open field toward the school which was visible in the distance and quietly surveyed it. Walking around the perimeter stealthily, he scrutinized the structure of the building. There were high walls in the back of the school obviously enclosing what was most likely a courtyard or a garden. He moved closer to the wall, thinking that he had heard voices. A man's voice reached his ears, speaking quietly, talking about form and movement and balance. It sounded like a martial arts lesson.

Gazing up at the roof and pondering quickly, he moved back toward the front of the building and found a spot where he could scale the wall. He pulled himself up onto the roof, moving over it quietly with cat-like, graceful movements, not an easy feat with armor on. He rested the length of his body against the slope of the roof on the opposite side from where the courtyard was, his foot planted in such a way as to keep him steady. He peered over the ridge of the roof and down over it, into the courtyard which he could now see clearly.

The dimly-lit yard was filled with students, each one with a sword, working through movements and practicing their swordsmanship. He saw the limping figure of Hua Zhou moving slowly through the lines with the aid of his cane, stopping to correct someone's form here and there, and he heard him instructing them. He sighed, an ache of regret filling his heart with the realization that his father's old friend, one of the Emperor's most trusted and honored generals, was now a traitor to his country. And his enemy. A lone slight figure stood off in front of the group, facing them and him, demonstrating each of the moves, the students imitating. Shang started and his heart leaped into his throat as he looked into the face of the small leader, recognizing his former soldier Ping.

He was deeply disappointed that these were the circumstances under which he was seeing her again, though he really hadn't expected anything different, especially when her own father was involved. And though he had his orders as the Emperor's general, he could understand her motives. Traveling through the countryside, she'd borne witness to the same sights he had and he couldn't blame her for wanting to do something about it. Just as he couldn't bear to see that starving little boy harmed for trying to get badly-needed food, he knew she wouldn't be able to stand by and watch people suffer. She was too caring and compassionate a person. That had become clear to him that fateful day when they reached the village at the Tung Shao Pass and he discovered that his father had been killed. She was the only soldier that offered sympathy to him, her few words quiet, gentle, supportive.

Since he'd last seen her he'd thought of her often, wondering what had happened to her in these three years and what would have happened if he had kept in touch with her. There had been unanswered questions and an underlying aching desire in the background of his consciousness to figure out the mystery of who she was. She'd come into his life like a whirlwind at that time and had disappeared from it just as suddenly. He always brushed the thoughts off when they came to the forefront of his mind. After all, he hardly knew her. He still didn't understand why he continued to react the way he did when he heard her name, the catching of his breath, the quickening of his heartbeat, the way his mind had grinded to a screeching halt for that moment when General Zhao had spoken of him finding her first. Just the mention of her hometown by the Emperor had caused him to feel a jolt through his body. He certainly wasn't in love with her, there wasn't enough time for that, even if he did notice how lovely she was in the mountains that night, and in the Imperial City, and standing with her father in the family's garden. But she'd made an impression on him. His experience with her had left an imprint on his mind and soul.

He remained frozen in place, watching her move gracefully through the forms and waiting silently for his heart to stop thudding. Her form was good but she was a little rusty since she'd trained in his camp, he noted absently. It _had_ been three years, of course. She obviously hadn't been working through sword forms everyday while she was working as the Emperor's council.

Tearing his gaze away finally he eased himself down off of the roof slowly, climbing down the wall and landing softly on the ground. He stole across the open plain, thinking of Captain Mao's suggestion that they just rain arrows down on the school, with or without proof; now they had it.

He had no choice. His duty was to defend his Emperor and stop these people, including Mulan and her father; especially since Captain Mao was around. There was no doubt that Mao would report back to the Emperor anything that he failed to do; perhaps that was why he'd been forced on him. Maybe the Emperor was worried that he would have a soft spot for his female former soldier. But he wouldn't be soft. In the morning he would move his troop out and drive them out of the school. All he could do was hope that she would somehow come out of this alive, even though common sense told him that couldn't possibly be unless he let her escape. And he knew that he couldn't do that either. He sighed, knowing that there would be no sleep for him tonight.

He automatically went into alert mode as he returned to the cover of the woods where his horse was. Sure enough, as he passed by one of the trees he was assaulted from behind.

Somehow he instinctively sensed his attacker before he reached him, maybe even heard him without realizing he had, so automatic were his reflexes. He whirled around quickly, springing into action and dodging in time so that the blade of the sword coming at him in the dark sliced his lower forearm instead of hitting a more vital area that it was originally aimed at. He drew his sword and gained his balance quickly, focused on his assailant now, finding himself staring in shock at Captain Mao.

"Mutinous traitor…" he began, breathless with disgust and anger.

"No, General. I'm following orders."

They stood facing one another in the dark, bodies taut, each looking for weakness in the other. Then the captain lurched toward him, fighting fiercely. Shang blocked all of his sword thrusts, concentrating on defending himself and using his opponent's own strength against him, managing to swipe Mao's neck with his blade. Even in the dark he could see the blood starting to flow. Then, before he knew it, Mao had flipped his sword over and slammed the hilt of it into his head with massive force. Shang reeled back, clutching his head that was throbbing already, and staggered dazedly as stars exploded in front of his eyes. He fell to his knees, dizzy, feeling the stickiness of the blood that was beginning to drip from the cut on his head onto his fingertips, imagining that he heard the sound of a singing arrow. He blinked rapidly, and for a split second the sparks in front of his eyes seemed to clear; he caught sight of an arrow sticking out of Mao's chest, vibrating ever so slightly from the momentum of hitting its target, sickeningly. Then he blacked out.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks to all for continuing to read and special thanks to those who have reviewed. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 9_

Filled with great concern for the general, Mulan trotted after her father and the others as they carried Shang into one of the empty rooms and set him down on the straw mat inside. Hua Zhou noticed her presence and approached, prodding her out of the room with a stern expression.

"You don't want him to wake up and see you."

A part of her did want that, and she wanted to stay there and drink in the sight of him, too; but she obeyed her father and left the room reluctantly, knowing better than to behave that stupidly. Still, she could do something to help him. She fetched two wooden buckets from the pantry and hurried out to the courtyard in back. They would need water to clean his wound and he would no doubt be thirsty when he woke up.

She ran to the well and filled both buckets with water, then brought them inside to the kitchen and filled a large bowl to bring to the room where Shang was laid out. Arriving there she found that he had been stripped of his armor, and her father and the other men stood over the general arguing quietly.

"Mulan," her father began sharply when he saw her.

"I brought water," she explained, setting the bowl of water down in the corner of the space. "The wound needs to be cleaned and he will need to drink when he wakes up."

Before he had a chance to speak again she darted out of the room and retrieved some towels and a cup. Her father took them from her when she returned with them and indicated for her to get out. With a sigh, she stepped out into the hallway and closed the panel behind her, sealing off the space; but she remained standing outside, listening to them argue, hoping they would cease soon and start treating Shang's head injury and other wounds.

Several minutes later the panel slid open again. Mulan jumped and quickly stepped away, but it was too late. Her father stepped out of the room and saw her.

"I just wanted to see that he's alright, Baba. He didn't see me."

He sighed deeply and beckoned for her to follow him to the private study.

"We know that the Emperor sent Captain Mao to kill him," she began. "He can't go back to the Imperial City, with or without me. He'll be executed just like the others."

"I know. Li Meng-shi is treating him now and I have to decide what the next step should be. The men in his troop will come looking for him when they realize he never returned tonight. Also, he knows that you and I are here."

She looked at him, surprised.

He nodded. "I'm sure of it. The general came to scout out the school tonight. His captain followed him and Wang Xiao followed Captain Mao. I have no doubt that General Li found a way to spy on us and therefore must have seen both of us training these men and women."

"Maybe I should talk to him," she suggested. "Things are different now, Baba. He can't go back to the Emperor."

"You shouldn't get your hopes up about him, Mulan."

"He's married, Baba, and it has nothing to do with that," she insisted. "It's just that I'm the one that saw everything that was going on in the palace. I can give him details."

"As I already said, I will decide what the next step should be. We need to see what he does when he realizes where he is."

"We confiscated his sword. He can't cut my head off."

"Even if he had his sword, I don't think he wants to kill you anyway."

**xxxxxxx**

Disembodied voices surrounded him, fading in and out. Shang tried to open his eyes to see who they belonged to, and to view his surroundings, but his eyelids, his whole body felt too heavy.

"_You should never have brought him here, Xiao," a gruff male voice scolded. "His troop will come here looking for him."_

"_I had to. His camp was too far from where we were and he needs immediate attention. Besides, I don't think…"_

"…_what's done is done." This voice was more mature and the man sounded familiar. "And you're right. He may have died by the time you got him to his camp."_

"_Why should we care?"_

"_Mulan."_

"_I brought water…"_

"…_to clean the wound. Good."_

"_Leave everything to me. We will need to treat the cut on his head and he may have a concussion. Once his wound is tended and I'm sure that he's not in any danger, maybe we can move him."_

"_Back to his camp?"_

"_Or back to where you found him."_

"_What about the other man?"_

Somewhere in his brain he knew they were talking about him, but the sounds seemed to reach him through a haze and his mind was in a fog. After a moment the voices began to fade out completely and everything went black again.

The sensation of something cool on his forehead brought him to his senses again. There was a damp cloth spread across it, he realized. Bewildered, he blinked up at a young man that knelt beside him, apparently tending to his wound. The man couldn't have been much older than he was. His head throbbed and he groaned, the memory of the blow that he'd received from the hilt of Captain Mao's sword flashing across his mind.

He had never thought the captain hated him enough to actually trail him and kill him.

"Easy now," said the young man who was bending over him. "You received a nasty blow to the head."

"Where am I?" he asked, weakly. His throat was parched and his eyes felt like they had dried out as well.

"You're in a safe place, General Li," he answered, removing the cloth from his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm very thirsty."

His head was suddenly being lifted and supported and a cup had been brought to his lips. Shang lapped up the liquid, beginning to feel a little better as the water went down his throat. The man helped him to lie back down when he'd finished drinking.

"You know my name. Who are you?"

"My name is Li Meng-shi. You don't have fever," he remarked. "That's a good sign."

Shang opened his mouth to ask more questions, but the young man worked so intently that he found himself refraining from speaking. He watched him work for a short while, then, tiring, he closed his eyes. Images of the events that had occurred before his altercation with Mao flooded his mind. He remembered perching on the roof watching as Hua Zhou was teaching the students to fight and become a force of rebellion, and seeing Mulan dressed as Ping again, helping to train these men and women. He would have to deal with the situation, but not now. He felt too sleepy all of a sudden and he drifted off into slumber before he realized it.

Li Meng-shi was gone when he woke again, more aware now and able to take in his surroundings. He found that he was lying on a low pallet, in a small space surrounded by transparent screens. He reached up and gingerly touched the spot where he'd been hit, his fingers finding the material of the bandage that the medic had applied.

There was a bandage on his right arm, too, he noticed suddenly, remembering the wound that he'd received from Mao's sword when he was taken by surprise, attacked from behind. The events of the night came rushing back to him again. The arrow in Captain Mao's chest. Mao had intended to kill him, for a reason he didn't know yet. It couldn't have been simply because he resented taking orders from him. Had the Emperor sent him for this? Is that why he'd forced him to take him into his troop? He couldn't believe that. His captain was dead now; he'd seen the blood flowing from his neck, where his sword had landed. And an arrow in his chest. Someone else had been there.

With a start he realized that his armor had been removed and he was only wearing his trousers and tunic. He sat up too quickly and brought his hands to his temples to steady himself as he was hit with a tinge of dizziness. He glanced around him. His armor and sword were nowhere in sight.

Helping himself to his feet he swayed slightly for a moment as he stood. He regained his balance and moved forward slowly, toward the screen that he saw would slide open. He stepped out of the space, his socks the only thing between his feet and the cold floor, finding that he was now in a long narrow hallway lined with enclosed quarters similar to the one he'd been resting in. He heard voices at the end of the hall and walked slowly toward them.

He found himself in a large sunlit room which he recognized to be the work area of the calligraphy school. The old master was there, seated at a table with the medic that had been treating him and another more mature man that Shang didn't recognize but who seemed familiar somehow.

"Where is Honorable Hua Zhou?" he asked, stepping into the room.

The three men started and Li Meng-shi rose and came toward him.

"General Li, you shouldn't be up and about."

"I want to know what happened and who brought me here. Where is he?" he demanded firmly, shaking Li Meng-shi's hand off of his arm even though he was beginning to feel somewhat lightheaded and unsteady again.

The man that seemed familiar rose to his feet now and came around the table.

"I will answer your questions, General Li, but you must sit down before you fall down."

It was a relief to take a seat in one of the chairs at the table. Shang rested his head in his hands. He knew that it was ludicrous for him to be up and about, but he had to get some answers.

"You must be thirsty, General. I'll get you some water."

Li Meng-shi disappeared down another hall, returning a few minutes later with a pitcher of water and a cup, which he filled up.

"Thank you," Shang said, sitting up and gratefully accepting the cup that was held out to him. He sipped slowly.

"I am Wang Xiao," said the third, previously unidentified man.

"Xiao," he repeated, remembering that he'd heard that name when he was only half-conscious. "Are you the one that brought me here?"

"Yes. You received quite a knock to the head and you were bleeding."

"You…did you shoot that arrow and kill Captain Mao?"

After a moment of hesitation he nodded. "I've been watching Captain Mao for the past two nights."

Shang stared at him in astonishment.

"Hua Zhou asked me to look out for you and to watch Captain Mao's movements. He expected that the captain might try to harm you."

Questions filled his mind and he remained speechless for a minute, not knowing where to begin.

"He expected it?" he finally asked. "How could he know?"

Xiao shrugged.

"Well," Shang began, dejectedly, "thank you…for your help…against Mao."

"It was nothing, General."

The man looked so familiar but Shang couldn't place where he'd seen him. He found himself studying him carefully.

"You must be hungry," the old master spoke up, forcing Shang's attention away from Xiao. "Let me arrange for some breakfast for you. Follow me. There's a private room where I will see that you are served."

Shang followed the master to the private room, puzzled as to why he needed to be served in private. He was led to a study with a table and chairs. The master gestured for him to have a seat and stepped out of the room again. Hua Zhou appeared several minutes later and Shang rose to greet him.

"Be careful, General. You seem to be a little unsteady still."

He approached the table and took a seat beside him as he lowered himself back down into his chair.

"My troop will be looking for me."

"First we must talk. I will send Xiao back to your camp with a message."

"The men will know he doesn't belong there."

"He's been in your camp for two days watching Captain Mao. He was told to say he was a messenger from General Zhao in Xiayi if he was asked," Hua Zhou explained.

The young general stared at him flabbergasted. The former general seemed to know about everything that was going on and he suddenly wondered if Zhao had actually been in contact with him.

"You spoke to General Zhao, sir?"

"No, General. But some of my men ran into him on an errand in that village."

"Sir, when you said that things would be difficult and I would be fighting my own countrymen, I never believed that it would be you."

Hua Zhou rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know that."

"I don't understand. You were one of Wu Di's most trusted generals."

"And greatly honored to be able to serve my country and my Emperor. But the definition of service to one's country is somewhat ambiguous during these turbulent times."

"You sent Wang Xiao to watch my captain and protect me. Why would you do that if you knew that I might move my troop against you when I found out that you…were a rebel?" He could barely bring himself to say it out loud.

"Baba, is it alright if I come in now?" a soft feminine voice interrupted from outside of the room.

"Yes."

Shang's head snapped around at the sound of the voice and he blinked in disbelief as Mulan stepped into the room carrying a tray with his breakfast. She was dressed in a man's trousers and tunic, but her shoulder-length hair was loose now and a natural blush spread over her cheeks as she glanced at him. It had been three years since he'd seen her and he noted that her face had changed; she had bloomed. Her features seemed more womanly, her cheekbones more defined, her lips redder and fuller. She was beautiful and alluring, even in man's clothing.

"Are you feeling better, Shang?" she asked, her face full of concern.

Recovering from his initial shock he nodded, still staring at her transfixed.

She set the tray down on the table and poured out two cups of tea, handing her father the first one and him the second one. She placed a bowl of congee and a spoon before him and a large plate of sweet rolls in the middle of the table.

"Thank you," Shang said softly.

Taking a seat on the other side of her father she helped herself to a roll and a cup of tea. He watched her as she took the cup in small dainty hands and brought it to her lips to sip some tea then lowered it again. She kept her eyes either on her tea or on her father, seeming to avoid his gaze on purpose.

"I believe that Xiao already answered some of your questions, General Li," Hua Zhou spoke up, drawing Shang's attention away from her.

He nodded, shifting his focus back to her father. "Yes. How did you know that Captain Mao would try to harm me?"

"The Emperor forced you to take him as your second in command because he was sending him to kill you."

"That occurred to me before…but I can't believe that. I don't understand why…"

"As I told you, he's killing people with the surname Li. It's been going on for months."

"Because of that ballad you told me about?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"I don't believe it. Over a song?"

"It may only be a song and it may even turn out to be meaningless; but many people believe that the song is about this prophecy and, more importantly, Luo Di believes it," Hua Zhou added. "And he's trying to prevent it from being fulfilled. Xiao said that he heard your captain say that he was following orders."

"He didn't say whose order."

The retired general patted his shoulder in a paternal manner. "I know it's hard to accept. But I honestly believe that Captain Mao was acting under Luo Di's order." He gestured to the bowl of congee that sat untouched in front of Shang. "Your breakfast is getting cold. You should eat, General, and regain your strength. Then we can talk more."

Shang tucked into the food in front of him while Hua Zhou finished his tea and stood up, heading toward the door. He and Mulan shared a meaningful glance that Shang couldn't interpret at all, then he left the room.

"Did you make this?" he asked softly when he'd finished the congee, setting the spoon aside.

"Yes," she answered, a flush coming to her face again. He suppressed a smile that began to come to his lips involuntarily as he stared at the rosy tint in her cheeks. She gestured to his cup. "Would you like more tea?"

He nodded. "Yes, thank you."

She lifted the teapot and refilled the empty cup that he handed her. He wanted to ask her when she had decided to accept the position as Wu Di's council and what she'd been doing for these past three years but he didn't know where to begin. And the mutual shyness between them made it more difficult.

"How have you been, Shang?" she began awkwardly, attempting to break the ice first.

"Okay," he began, stopping to clear his throat nervously. "I…I'd been stationed in the Imperial City until I was sent here. I didn't realize that you had accepted the position to serve on Wu Di's council."

"He summoned me about three months after I returned home. Chi Fu was on a diplomatic mission to the west. It was an honor to be asked not just once, but a second time. I couldn't refuse."

"I thought I saw you a couple of times, but I never caught up to you. I thought…I was mistaken."

"I was there when you were made a general."

"You were?"

She nodded and smiled slightly.

"I'm glad I was able to see you get your new commission. You deserved it."

"Thank you."

She fidgeted nervously and he cleared his throat again, uncomfortably.

"Mulan," he began hesitantly. "Why did you flee from Luo Di's service? Did you come to help your father?"

"I didn't know my father was involved in any of this until I got here. Shang, I saw whole families brought before Luo Di and summarily killed when I was there. The one thing that they had in common was they all had the surname Li. My friend Li Tian-mu was killed along with his family. He was a loyal councilman who served Luo Di's father for years; he did nothing to deserve execution."

"And you think that it's because of this ballad?"

"It's all because of this prophecy and the ballad that tells of it. You have to believe that."

He shook his head slowly, disbelievingly. "Did you leave the palace because of the ballad?"

"No, I never heard of it until I arrived here. I left the palace after Li Tian-mu was killed because I figured out that all the victims had the same surname. Only I realized the connection too late to save him," she answered somberly, her eyes lowering.

"He was a friend of yours?"

"Yes. My only friend there."

"I'm sorry."

He remembered what General Zhao had told him about the other councilmen and officers calling her the _'young man'_. This man must have been the one person that didn't do that.

"Mulan, I…," he trailed off. It was in his mind to tell her that he knew that she must have had a good reason for her actions and that he didn't want to harm her; but saying such a thing would be unwise, it would be showing weakness. And for all he knew, she and her father were just manipulating him for their own purposes, making up this crazy story about a prophecy and Imperial executions of people that happened to have the same surname as him. Given that it was one of the most common Chinese surnames, the Emperor would have to kill close to three-quarters of the population of the Middle Kingdom. The whole thing seemed ludicrous.

He suppressed a sigh and took another approach.

"You know that every general out here has orders to either kill you and bring your head to the Emperor or bring you back to Chang'an to be executed there."

"If you do intend to carry out my punishment for fleeing his service, you can't be the one to go back there with me, Shang. It will mean your own death sentence."

Shang stared at her in amazement, trying to fathom why she would even care what happened to him if he was going to be the one to carry out the Emperor's order. Her voice was urgent when she spoke and there was worry in her eyes. Her concern for his well-being seemed to be genuine. The realization disarmed him and he didn't know how to respond.

Hua Zhou returned a moment later, rejoining them at the table, and Shang never had the opportunity to answer her. The father gestured to his daughter and Mulan stood up silently and left the room.

"Honorable Hua Zhou, I…I'm the Emperor's general. I don't want to fight with you but I don't want to disobey my orders…"

"I understand. But you also have to consider your own safety."

"Thank you…for looking out for me, sir. And please forgive me if I seem disrespectful, but this story about the song seems implausible to me. My surname is very common. I find it hard to imagine that Luo Di would be trying to kill everyone with the name."

"Everyone of _importance_ with the name," Hua Zhou corrected him. "Ministers, military officials."

"Still," he began dubiously.

"You believe that you're being manipulated." There was understanding in the old general's eyes. "But you must know that I wouldn't do that to you. And neither would Mulan."

Shang released a slow, soft exhale.

"She knew you were coming here before she left the palace, General Li, and she came here to warn you."

He blinked at Hua Zhou in disbelief. "Did she say that?"

"Not in so many words. But she didn't have to. I know my daughter."

Shang fell silent, at a loss as to what to say or think now.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow soon.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

He was even more handsome than she remembered, Mulan decided after sitting in the study and watching Shang speak with her father, a dull ache in her heart. Tall and well-built, broad shoulders, a chiseled profile and an angular face with dark eyes that, when he let them soften, revealed his surprisingly gentle and compassionate nature underneath the stern and stoic soldier's exterior.

Even after her father sent her out of the study and asked her to summon Li Meng-shi and Wang Xiao, she remained standing outside trying to listen. The two men passed her as they entered the room and Xiao wagged a finger at her playfully.

"I won't say anything to your father," he quipped softly before disappearing into the study and sliding the door shut.

Her father had not ceased to surprise her with his organizational abilities, strategic know-how and tactical intelligence. She could now add guile to his list of attributes. He was sly and she understood where his nickname _The Fox_ came from. They had come up with a strategy to protect Shang as well as themselves, a ruse; but it meant lying to Shang, withholding information and detaining him against his will. She considered him a friend even though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, and she hated the idea of keeping things from him especially since there had been a time when she'd deceived him terribly. Although she'd had a good reason for it, a lie was still a lie. It saddened her that in a way she would be lying to him again.

In addition to all of his other talents Hua Zhou also had a profound understanding of the nuances of human nature apparently and was playing on the general's weaknesses, she realized. He wasn't doing it to be malicious or to harm him but to influence Shang, who he felt was confused and undecided, and nudge him toward their side, toward wanting to stick around. She realized that her father had allowed her to go in to see Shang for just a little while in order to entice him and throw him off-balance. Even their short conversation was calculated and staged; he'd left them alone long enough for them to begin to talk and returned to cut off the conversation before it really got started.

She leaped back startled as the door slid open again and Xiao stepped out of the study, sliding the panel closed behind him.

"I'm off," he told her, then added with a wink, "so be good, Jiang Hu."

"Yes, sir," she answered, laughing softly.

"If everything goes well I'll see you in a week or so."

"Good luck, Honorable Wang Xiao."

"You, too."

Mulan knew that he was going to deliver a message to Shang's troop, a message fabricated by her father. If everything went as planned Luo Di would believe that Captain Mao had carried out his mission and that Shang was no longer a threat to him. And everyone would believe that their organization had ceased to exist.

Unable to hear the conversation inside she tired of just standing outside the door and moved off, joining the other students at the tables in the main room. Master Jiang was in the front, working on another banner that most likely contained the next message to be brought to someone else in their network. The room was quiet but for the scratching sounds of etching calligraphy brushes. She went to her seat at one of the tables and began to practice her own characters.

**xxxxxxx**

Shang easily found the back courtyard where he'd seen the students training. The design of the calligraphy school was very plain and simple, a large, rectangular structure with a separate building several paces away for the toilet. There was a front entrance into the school through a walled-off courtyard and garden with several stone benches, and a rear entrance leading to the back courtyard. He stopped in the doorway and folded his arms across his chest, watching Mulan and her father as they stood by the well at the end of the courtyard in the twilight, deep in serious conversation.

He was still mulling over everything that Hua Zhou had said and what Mulan had told him, as well as the questions that the medic had been asking him.

Li Meng-shi had been asking him about his family. He'd wanted to know if he had any relatives in Taiyuan, or if he knew anyone of importance there named Li. Shang recalled his father talking about a general named Li Jing who was stationed as a minor official there. He didn't have much to say about him; just that he was a good soldier that had served with him in several battles until he was sent to serve in Shanxi province. He'd been given the rank of general at that time.

According to his father it was Zhi-xu that was remarkable, Li Jing's son who was about the same age as Shang. In fact, Shang had a lucid recollection of his father regaling him with stories about this boy, a natural-born swordsman, unusually disposed toward leadership, who excelled at everything. He'd even gone as far as to say that the boy had a special aura about him and was destined for great things. Shang had been somewhat envious of the boy even though he hadn't met him, to draw such praise from his father. Not that Li Kong wasn't proud of his own son; Shang knew he was. But his father never went on about Shang's accomplishments like that, at least not to him.

Shang said nothing about either of these men to Li Meng-shi, merely stating that he didn't know off-hand of anyone special in that area. He didn't know who to trust anymore and he'd decided that it was better to keep quiet than to risk the chance of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. But he was aware that Hua Zhou was observing him closely despite his serene façade; in fact, he was beginning to suspect that Hua Zhou and his men intended to keep him there as a hostage. He still had no idea where his armor and his weapon were, and when he asked about it the old general had completely changed the subject without answering his question, remarking that he needed to rest more and that Li Meng-shi would take him back to his room and tend to him.

Captain Liang had been left in charge of his troop again most likely when Captain Mao left to trail him. Shang trusted Liang implicitly; in fact, if Luo Di hadn't forced Mao on him and he'd been allowed to choose his second in command it would have been Liang. But he hadn't had a chance to speak with him about anything and he doubted that Mao had briefed him on the situation.

Now Hua Zhou had sent that man Xiao back with a message for Liang, supposedly apprising him of his whereabouts; but Shang had no idea what would be in that message. It made him somewhat nervous; in fact, when Xiao had entered the private room Hua Zhou had merely asked him if he knew what to tell Captain Liang. No specific words concerning the message were exchanged and Hua Zhou's answer to him when he asked was extremely vague.

Absent-mindedly he brought one hand up to his chin and began to stroke it, frowning as he pondered the disturbing events of the past day. He knew that Captain Mao had resented him; and it would have been easier to believe that he'd attempted to kill him because of that. The idea that he had been following the Emperor's order was not only hard to swallow but it infuriated Shang. He was a loyal general to Luo Di! He had never strayed from his duty and every decision he'd ever made was with the most honorable and moral intentions, and in the interest of his country and his Emperor. And yet this man would kill him without a second thought because of his surname and a prophecy?

It made him think of his father again suddenly. Had _his_ death been arranged because of this prophecy, too? That would mean that Wu Di was involved. Needing to physically push away the thought he began to shake his head without realizing it.

"General Li, are you alright?"

He focused on Hua Zhou with a start. He and Mulan had approached without him realizing it and they both stood before him now. It occurred to him that he was blocking the doorway and he stepped aside.

"You look upset," Hua Zhou remarked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh. No. It's nothing."

"Did you have a good rest?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you for your hospitality, sir. And now I've been a burden long enough. I should return to my troop. I just need to retrieve my armor and…"

"I strongly advise you to remain here, General. It would be in your best interest. Don't worry about your troop. Xiao will see to it that your Captain Liang knows of your whereabouts."

His expression was kind and sincere, but movement inside caught Shang's eye and he saw that the front entrance was well guarded by several of the students. He immediately knew that he wasn't going to be allowed to leave.

"You're not a hostage," Hua Zhou said suddenly, as if he'd read his mind. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but we're trying to save your life, son."

He removed his hand from his shoulder and limped past him, disappearing inside and leaving Shang alone in the courtyard with Mulan.

"How's your head?" she asked, eyeing it. Li Meng-shi had removed the bandage already.

"It's still bruised and sore where I was hit. But I'll be alright. I don't think I have a concussion and neither does the medic."

"Oh, good."

"Mulan, earlier today your father told me what you did for me. I wish you hadn't…"

"What are you talking about?"

"You shouldn't have left the palace. You got yourself into trouble and have now risked your life just to warn me. That was…"

She cut him off.

"You don't know everything that was going on there, Shang. And I didn't leave only to warn you," she added, her face becoming a rosy color again.

"What else happened? I know you left after your friend was killed."

"It wasn't just my friend. The atmosphere there is oppressive because his rule is oppressive. And he puts his attentions and efforts in the wrong direction. He has a second capital now and is in the middle of building a third one."

He nodded but said nothing. She was telling him something that he already knew.

"The national treasury is depleted because of it and meanwhile people are starving. They can't make a living anymore. You must have seen it riding here, Shang."

"Of course," he answered, softly.

"Shangqiu is a little better off. My father is of means because of his service to Wu Di, so he's been helping this village to sustain itself."

"Is that how he got involved in this movement?"

"Yes."

He sighed and stared into the distance, brooding.

"For three years I only saw what was going on in the palace, Shang," she added softly. "When I was riding here, it was shocking to see the state that the people are living in."

"I know."

Shang's thoughts drifted to the boy in Zhengzhou again and he felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. He suddenly found himself telling Mulan about the incident.

"General Zhao was right," he remarked when he'd finished the story, disappointed with himself as he thought of the older man's words. "I'm too idealistic and naïve."

"Why? Because you helped that boy?"

"The only thing I accomplished was to buy him another day or two more of struggling. For all I know something worse happened to him after I was gone."

"Shang, what you did was good," she insisted passionately, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. "You showed compassion toward an innocent child and you helped him. You prevented him from being abused because of something that he couldn't help. That's a good thing."

"What did I do for him, though? Gave him two more days of living like a wild animal?"

"You gave him two more days in which he had a fighting chance."

For some unknown reason he found himself confiding in her without even thinking about it. It was strange, especially since they'd been so shy with one another earlier in the morning. But her voice was so comforting and supportive when she spoke that he felt like pouring his heart out to her. And he did consider her an old friend, even if they hadn't seen each other for so long.

He shook his head slowly, attempting to control his emotions, not completely successful at it.

"I'm too soft, and my weakness shows. Maybe you don't see it, but your father does."

She remained silent and stared at him, clearly taken aback. His eye followed her gaze then as it went to her hand which still clasped his forearm and she let go.

"Mulan, I've been stationed at the palace for three years. If Luo Di wanted me dead, why didn't he just execute me when I was there? Why send me away on a mission like this and arrange for someone to assassinate me all the way out here?"

"I don't know. Maybe he needed you to lead the troop. Many of his generals are away, fighting our neighbors that he's waged war on. And we lost many men in the battle to protect our northern border."

"I wonder if this is why my father was killed. Because of the prophecy."

"No, I don't think so, Shang. This is a recent thing. I'm positive that Wu Di had nothing to do with that. He certainly wouldn't have risked an entire regiment and an invasion to kill just one man. That would have been foolish."

Their conversation was interrupted by Hua Zhou clearing his throat. He'd appeared in the doorway again without them noticing.

"My daughter is right. Your father's death was not prearranged by Wu Di. This all started with Luo Di."

**xxxxxxx**

Training continued that night, but her father changed his plan a little bit and started the students on archery earlier than he'd intended since it had become necessary. There was a limited supply of arrows right now but that problem would be remedied shortly. The situation had changed such that they would be fighting from a distance rather than with swords or hand-to-hand.

Knocking one of the few arrows they had onto a bow, Mulan demonstrated for the others as Hua Zhou instructed them. She was pleased to see that, as rusty as she was, she could still hit the target fairly square on. As each student took a turn, her father helped them with their form.

Archery training was somewhat precarious given their circumstances. Whereas they could keep swordsmanship and martial arts fairly low-key, this exercise was more difficult. Not only did they have a shortage of arrows, but they would be in trouble if a trainee fired too high and shot it over the wall. If anyone was around to see it they would be discovered.

Out of the corner of her eye Mulan suddenly caught sight of Shang, leaning against the back wall of the school and observing them, Li Meng-shi standing beside him. She was relieved that she hadn't seen him before she demonstrated for the students; she was sure she would have completely missed the target in her nervousness if she had known that he was watching her.

She still had serious misgivings about the fact that her father hadn't shared his plans with Shang, and that made her anxious too since the plan involved the general's own troop. Wang Xiao would be with that troop by now and they would attack within the week, led by Captain Liang. It was part of the plan.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks to all who have continued to read and review. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 11_

Hua Zhou went back to town with Wei Wang when he came to deliver a fresh supply of food the day after Xiao left. He felt responsible for everything that went on in the school, but he also didn't want to leave her mother and grandmother alone for so many days at a time. He would be returning the next afternoon with the next delivery of supplies, which included materials that they would need to carry out his plan, and it was arranged that the students on night watch would take turns getting a little bit of sleep so that everyone would be awake in the mornings and ready to fight back when the troop came for them.

In the mean time Mulan and Li Meng-shi were left to look after Shang and each student was informed that they should stop him if he attempted to leave the school while they were on watch. The wound to his head wasn't very deep and seemed to be healing steadily; and he didn't have a concussion. His arm was healing as well, and there was no infection starting thanks to the balm that the priest was applying on a regular basis.

The mild temperatures that they had been blessed with for a few days in the middle of that cold winter ended and the harsh bitter weather returned. Training was difficult but the students stoically stood in formation, bracing themselves against the chill, each of them able to see their own breath almost freeze in front of their faces before it dissipated in the air. The only other option would have been to temporarily carry the calligraphy tables out and clear the main room, making it a training room. But Mulan knew that investing so much effort for a practice session was ridiculous and the idea would outrage Master Jiang, so she abandoned it without ever bringing it up.

Mulan was completely in charge of training the students that night. Pushing away her nervousness she walked toward the group with as much self-assurance as she could muster and spoke in an even, confident voice, though given how much she was shivering and how her teeth were chattering she knew she wasn't very convincing.

They were to continue practicing archery. After everyone had lined up quietly she had each of the students take turns aiming at the target. As she was working with one student on form Shang sauntered up to her.

"Let me help," he said simply.

She turned and stared at him, eyebrows raised.

"You noticed that I'm quite rusty, didn't you?" she finally remarked.

A lopsided smile that she remembered had always made her heart melt when she saw it came to his lips. "You're still quite good, just out of practice."

She nodded and stepped aside, indicating that, by all means, he should take over the lesson.

"If you don't mind me saying, no matter how well you train these students, you won't be able to fight with so few arrows against an Imperial troop full of archery masters," Shang told her as they crossed the courtyard together toward the school at the end of the practice session. "This school will be covered with arrows before you even get a shot out. Unless there's a supply somewhere that I haven't seen."

Mulan hesitated, thinking carefully before she answered. As much as she didn't like it, her father had his reasons for not sharing any information with Shang yet.

"No, what you see is everything we have," she answered finally.

He glanced at her and she instantly saw in his eyes that he didn't believe her. But he didn't press.

"Your group of fighters is very dedicated to be outside training in this. At least if they were practicing martial arts they'd be moving around and keeping warm. But these poor kids had to wait in line, shivering, to have their turn aiming at a target."

"Archery has become a priority."

"Hmm," he grunted.

"I'm glad you decided to help us, Shang."

He sighed. "Well, it's not like I have a choice, right?"

Her head snapped up at that and she stopped in her tracks just outside the school. He came to a halt as well and stared down into her eyes pointedly. She felt her cheeks begin to burn, and she was sure it wasn't just from the freezing cold.

"I'm sure if I tried to leave right now I would be surrounded and held back by everyone here. My sword and my armor have been confiscated. You and Li Meng-shi are watching me. I'm a hostage."

"N-no…you're not a hostage, Shang. My father has a plan to protect you. That's why he's keeping you here."

"If that's the case why won't he tell me what his plan is then?"

She remained silent, unable to reply, and turned away from him, stepping through the back entrance into the school.

"He's afraid I won't cooperate," he answered the question for her, following her inside.

Grateful to be out of the cold, Mulan removed her gloves and blew on her hands to ease the numbness from the cold that had seeped through them, then took her boots off and carried them through the corridor to the front door, setting them on a wooden shelf to the side of it. Shang followed her, his own boots removed, and found a vacant space to leave his own pair.

"Shang, I don't know why he won't tell you," she said finally, turning away from the door and walking toward the private study, "but I'm sure he has a good reason for it. He's protecting you. You have to believe me."

His hand gripped her forearm firmly, stopping her in her tracks again. She turned and looked into his face, feeling herself freeze, her breath catching, her face heating up as her eyes met his again.

"I do believe you, Mulan. I gave you my trust a long time ago and you still have it. But this isn't right. I should be with my troop and instead I'm being kept from it…"

"I know. I'm sorry."

She forced her eyes away from his and stared down at his hand that still held her wrist firmly. He released his grasp and followed her as she turned and entered the private study. She removed her coat and took a seat at the table.

"I'll be on watch in a little while, for a few hours tonight. We're rotating the night watches now so everyone is up during the day. But you should probably get some rest."

He ignored her suggestion and took a seat at the table with her after removing his own coat.

"Shang, there was someone watching the school from out front a couple of days ago. Was that Captain Mao? Or you?"

"It was probably Captain Mao. He was supposed to stay in camp but he took it on himself to put another captain in charge and conduct the mission on his own. I was here the night Mao attacked me, on top of the roof. I saw you and your father training the students. I was on my way back to camp when I was attacked by Mao."

Mulan was silent. It occurred to her now that Shang, had he not been attacked by Captain Mao on that night and saved by Wang Xiao, would have most likely had his troop there the very next morning. The battle would have been over already now, no doubt leaving them worse for wear if not dead. Yet despite that fact, he seemed to have accepted his predicament of being more or less captive there with surprising ease, going so far as to help them with their archery practice tonight. She supposed her father had him pegged after all. He knew that the young general was torn between his loyalty and duty to the Emperor and his feelings about the situation of their countrymen, even his sentiments toward her and her family.

"By the way, my stallion was left in the woods."

"And Mao's," she answered with a nod. "Xiao let his stallion loose after he killed Mao and sent him galloping toward town."

"As a warning to your comrades there?"

He was staring at her, a hint of a smug smirk playing around his lips.

"What would you have done in his shoes, General?" she replied flippantly.

"The same thing," he answered with a laugh that she found very pleasing to the ear.

"It would have been too suspicious for him to be here. We left him in the forest and Xiao was taking him back to your camp with him."

A glint of sudden understanding came into his eyes, as if something had just dawned on him.

"He's going to tell my men that I was killed and he found my stallion, isn't he," he remarked after a moment. "So that the Emperor will think his order was carried out."

"I don't know what Xiao is going to say," she answered, doing her best to school her face into a blank expression.

This time the smirk he gave her was clear.

"What about your friend?"

She squinted at him, puzzled.

"The one that you're always talking to."

"Ao-li?"

He nodded.

"What do you want to know about him?"

"Where is he? I haven't seen him around for a couple of days, not even at practice."

Trying to appear as casual as possible, she shifted her gaze slowly. Her father had sent Ao-li on an errand but hadn't told anyone else where or what it was, not even her.

"I guess he went on an errand. We take turns going into town and to neighboring villages for supplies and to run errands. Why do you want to know?"

"No special reason," he answered with a shrug. "I was just wondering."

They remained silent for a few minutes. Shang was suddenly staring down at the table, absently drumming his fingers on the wooden surface. Mulan watched his fingers as they moved, wondering how much he had figured out on his own without being told. When the movement of his fingers stopped and he spoke again it was about something completely different and unexpected.

"Mulan, why didn't you ever come over to me when you were at the palace? You said you were there when I was made a general…you could have come to talk to me."

The question seemed to come from out of nowhere and it utterly confused her, making her start slightly.

"I know we didn't stay in touch," he continued, "but after the war ended I did consider you a friend."

"So did I. I still do."

"I guess I should have written, but…" he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head, looking perplexed.

"You didn't know what to say to me any more than I did to you," she finished his sentence for him with a shrug. "Then we both went on with our lives. And I'm still single so that made it awkward for me...I mean, you have a wife. You must have children now too."

She noticed his body instantly become tense and she wondered what she had said to bring about such a reaction.

"No," he answered quietly after a moment. "My wife died in childbirth last year. And the baby boy was stillborn."

"Oh. Shang, I'm sorry," she exclaimed sympathetically, suddenly regretting that she'd brought up that subject. She could only imagine how terrible it must have been for him to lose a wife and a child at once.

He looked away from her, his face becoming distant and sad. After several minutes of silence she placed a comforting hand on his forearm. He turned his attention back to her and she removed her hand.

"I'm sorry I made you think of it."

Shang didn't answer, but he reached over and placed a hand on hers, patting it gently.

**xxxxxxx**

"We're going to make scarecrows?" Wang Sheng asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Mulan answered. "This is part of my father's plan and part of winning the battle."

Looking completely puzzled as to how that could possibly be, Xiao's son went back to shaping the lump of straw he was working with. Everyone had complete respect for the venerable war veteran and no one would dare question his strategic and tactical planning abilities. However weird their task seemed, if the retired general Hua Zhou had come up with it, as far as they were concerned it would no doubt be a good idea.

Loose strands of straw were scattered all over the table as the students worked to shape the straw into the shape of life-size people, tying sections of them with silk threads to segment the figures so they appeared to have heads, legs and arms. Each person donated a pair of trousers and a tunic, and the life-size scarecrows were dressed in them.

"Aren't they going to see that these aren't real?" someone asked.

"We're going to be lowering them over the wall at night. They won't be able to really see them; all they'll see is moving figures," Mulan replied, pulling a tunic over the 'head' of the figure she was working on.

It was impossible to tell what Shang would have thought of their activities and what he might have done, so just in case Li Meng-shi had led him off to the room he now occupied to talk to him and to check on his injuries. The students didn't start their work until after they were out of sight and ear shot.

A few days had passed and Ao-li still hadn't returned to the school yet. Mulan had a feeling that her father had sent him to summon their allies from one of the other villages like Xiayi. A trap was being laid to ensnare Shang's troop and she felt worried about how he would react when he found out. She knew Li Meng-shi was revealing something important to Shang tonight, but she had no idea what it was yet.

**xxxxxxx**

"You're healing nicely, General," Li Meng-shi remarked serenely as he looked over the gash on his arm. "It wasn't a deep wound, fortunately, and thanks to Xiao being there, you received treatment immediately. I don't even think you'll have a scar once this is healed."

After applying more of the familiar salve he'd been mixing up, he wound a fresh bandage around Shang's forearm, then proceeded to check the bruise on his head where Mao had hit him with the hilt of his sword.

"Any dizziness or headaches?"

"No," Shang answered. "I'm fine now."

"You still have a small bump, but it will be gone in a few days, and fortunately you don't have a concussion."

Shang folded his arms over his chest as the medic finished working on him and gazed steadily at his face as he set aside the bowl with his salve and the scraps that he'd cut away from the soft bamboo he'd used to make the bandage for him.

"And now, General Li," he began, shifting his position so that he now sat back against one of the screens cross-legged, "I have some important things to discuss with you."

Several retorts came to mind but Shang chose to remain even-tempered and quiet. The less he gave away of what he did or didn't know the better. He merely gestured for him to go ahead with what he had to say.

"I am on my way to the province of Shanxi, specifically to the city of Taiyuan."

Remembering that just a few days ago Li Meng-shi had been asking him whether he knew anyone there, Shang just nodded, keeping his face expressionless.

"There are many signs that point to that city and I'm following them. It is my job and my destiny to seek out the Mandated Son of Heaven. That's where the portents have told me to go to find him."

Blinking rapidly, Shang still wordlessly indicated for him to go on.

"As Hua Zhou has already told you, it's a man named Li that is believed to be the Mandated Son of Heaven and destined to be our next Emperor. But it won't be just anyone named Li; it will be someone who is already somewhat influential. That's why I asked you if you knew anyone of importance there."

"How would you know?" Shang asked with genuine curiosity. "I mean, let's say you come across an influential man by the name of Li when you arrive there. How will you know that he's the Li that will be the Emperor?"

"The signs will be there, and I will be able to read it in the man's face and his comportment of himself. Just as I knew that you weren't being completely honest with me when I asked you if you knew anyone named Li there when you arrived here a few days ago."

Shang's mouth fell open involuntarily. "I've never met anyone named Li there," he insisted, feeling the blood rush to his face. "I've never been to Taiyuan and I don't have any relatives there."

"But you know of someone with that name there. I could sense your knowledge even while you denied it."

He stared at Li Meng-shi incredulously. "Who _are_ you?" he finally asked.

"I'm a follower of the Dao and a priest by vocation. I was a spiritual advisor to Wu Di and left the palace after he died. My mission is to seek out the next Emperor, the one who must truly be the Son of Heaven, and who will rule fairly and justly. He will follow the teachings of Lao Tzu. And I will be his guide. Just as the ballad says. Our country cannot continue as it has been lately, under this man Luo Di's rule."

Li Meng-shi softly sang the refrain of the song that Shang now recognized. It was the song that Captain Mao and his two men were singing when they came back to camp drunk that one night, and that he'd heard again in the tavern in the village of Shangqiu. Listening to the words he still didn't understand what the uproar was about this song. The rhyme was catchy, but there was nothing in it that Shang would have interpreted as prophesizing the rise of a new Emperor.

And why would Mao have been singing it if that were the case? Had he been trying to give him a hint? He would have possibly given himself away. Then again, according to Hua Zhou and Mulan it was being sung everywhere. Maybe he'd had no idea what the meaning was and just happened to hear it and repeat it.

"You've heard this?"

"Yes. But I don't understand how everyone has interpreted it…"

"It's symbolic, General."

Shang sighed. "Of course. Why are you telling me all of this anyway? Are you and Hua Zhou still trying to convince me to switch over to your side?"

"I'm telling you because you have heard of a man named Li in Taiyuan. I won't force you to do anything, General Li, but you are caught up in this now, whether you like it or not. I can read it when I look at your face, your destiny is bound up with those men and with the rise of a new Emperor. That's why the course of your life brought you here to us at this time. I think that you should come with me to Taiyuan."

"W-What…I?" Shang sputtered. "_I'm_ not the Mandated Son of Heaven."

"No, but somehow you're meant to be involved in the unfurling of these events. Even if for no other reason than your surname, because you were already made a target by the Emperor for that reason. Your name, the Emperor sending you to this province with your troop and Captain Mao's attempt on your life upon the order of the Emperor, which resulted in you being brought to this school for treatment. All of these things have led you to this group of people and this movement."

At a loss as to how to answer, Shang remained quiet, feeling bewildered. Though he didn't consider himself a spiritual person by any means, he'd been taught the teachings of Lao Tzu when he was growing up, and he did believe in the philosophy. There were many legends of the priests speaking prophecies that actually came true. Unfortunately, they spoke in riddles and symbols and Shang was a man of action and logic by nature. And though he was thoughtful, approaching all situations with reason and logic and never on frivolous impulse, he didn't have the patience to sit down and figure out what lay in between cryptic words.

"There's still some time for you to think about it, General, and as I said, I won't force you to do anything against your will. It will be several days before I'm able to continue on my way. We'll talk again. At the very least, I hope that you will be willing to share with me the name of the man you've heard of there."

**xxxxxxx**

On Hua Zhou's instruction, Mulan and the other students crept outside in the middle of the night and climbed up toward the top of the wall surrounding the front garden and courtyard, keeping their heads below it so as not to be seen in the light of the full moon, which bathed them and the open field ahead of them in a diffuse white light. She poked her head up and surveyed the distant horizon but could see nothing in the darkness of the forest. Still, she knew that by now they would be out there waiting.

She signaled the others and slowly and with care, each of them lowered one of the life-size straw men that had been made for this purpose. Moments later they heard the unison whoosh-twangs of several hundred arrows, and she could feel the string she held tug from the impact of arrows hitting her own straw figure. Mulan peered over the top of the wall but could see nothing still. She pulled on the string, slowly lifting the straw dummy that she'd lowered back up. There was no movement out there and she pulled it up and over the wall. Twenty arrows were sticking out of it.

Quietly, she gestured to Wang Sheng who slowly lifted his straw man up and over the wall. One by one, each student retrieved the figure that they had lowered and when all of them were brought back inside the wall, each one riddled with arrows, they carried everything inside and began to harvest the arrows, pulling them out of the straw dummies. They ended up adding two hundred or so more arrows to their store.

"Good," Hua Zhou remarked, his eyes scanning their greatly increased supply. He was staying at the school that night.

"Are you sure, Baba?" Mulan asked quietly. "We're still outnumbered. The rate of arrows coming in tomorrow morning from Shang's troop will far outnumber what we're sending their way."

"I know. But we've just forced them to waste arrows and deplete their supply. Unless they've figured out what we're doing already, a few more rounds of lowering the straw dummies over the wall and provoking them, and we'll further drain them. Let's hope it's too dark for them to realize exactly what happened."

Quickly tidying up the straw figures, Mulan and the other students headed back out to the front courtyard to repeat the exercise.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Reposting of Chapter 12, but it's really a new chapter since I've changed it almost completely. Thanks to all who have been reading and reviewing and special thanks to those who read and reviewed the original Chapter 12.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 12 _

Something jarred him awake, though there was no noise outside. It was still dark out. He'd been up for most of the night, first conversing with Li Meng-shi and then lying on his pallet pondering their discussion. He couldn't remember when he'd dropped off to sleep but he vaguely recalled having the feeling before he drifted off that the young priest had been detaining him not only because he wanted to coax him to go to Taiyuan with him, but in order to distract his attention from something.

Softly, Shang stood up and crept out of his quarters. He had a feeling that there were things going on that he should be aware of, though it was the middle of the night. He stopped when he reached the main room at the end of the corridor, blinking in disbelief as he found himself staring at hundreds of arrows spread out on the tables where the students usually worked on their calligraphy. So they did have a supply, he thought smugly. He'd been right to not believe her answer earlier.

Movement outside caught his eye through the window and he went closer, staying to the side of it where he couldn't be seen. A soft flurry of snow was falling now and he could see that the ground was covered with a thin layer of white. He caught sight of several dark figures moving about, some appearing to be climbing down the stone wall that surrounded the front courtyard, others walking toward the school. He leaped back into the shadow of the dark corridor. Moments later Mulan and the others had shed their wet boots and were gathered in the main room, hair and coats peppered with white flurries of snow that melted and dripped to the floor. Each of them was holding a life-sized straw puppet dressed in clothing typical of their own. He immediately noted that these were covered with arrows, which the students began to pull out and set down on the tables, adding to the already large supply of arrows.

Astonished, he watched, silent and unmoving, as they harvested the arrows then attempted to tidy up the ragged-looking straw figures, clothed in tunics and trousers that looked ripped in places and filled with holes, as if they had already been hit with several rounds of arrows. With a start he realized that Mulan hadn't been lying earlier. Their practice supply _had_ been all that they had. But now the school was under attack, and this clever group was using the straw dummies to instigate their enemy to fire their arrows, stocking their supply and depleting their adversary's at one time.

It was his troop out there; he had no doubt about that and he knew he should be with them. He was flooded with shame, disappointment, and a sense of loss. And he felt angry at Hua Zhou and his rebels for having kept him from his men in this way, against his will.

As soon as the straw figures were fixed up, they went back outside again. The snow was falling steadily, heavier now. Keeping some distance from the group, Shang hurriedly put his boots on and followed them outside. He hid behind one of the trees in the garden, watching as Mulan and the others climbed up toward the top of the wall and lowered the figures down the other side of the wall on her signal. They waited, still and silent, the cold snowy night remaining quiet around them. There wasn't even the sound of arrows. Maybe they weren't firing this time. Had Captain Liang finally figured out that it was a hoax; that they weren't aiming at real people? Shang wondered how many times Mulan and this group of rebels had repeated this exercise before the captain finally figured it out _now_.

A sigh escaped him. If he ever saw Liang and the rest of the troop again he'd have to chew them out for their stupidity and carelessness. Didn't they wonder why the enemy hadn't returned their rain of arrows?

Mulan drew her dummy back first, inspecting it and then silently signaling to the others. One by one, they withdrew their straw dummies from over the wall and looked them over. Each one signaled back to her, then she nodded and they all climbed back down to the ground, turning back toward the school. Shang stayed hidden behind the tree and in the shadows, watching as they passed by. She was the last to file past, just as he'd hoped.

"Mulan."

She gasped and whirled around, dropping the straw figure that she was holding, her face contorted in fear, her body tensed into a defensive stance. He stepped out from behind the tree where she could see him and her hand went to her heart as her stance relaxed.

"Shang," she uttered his name on an exhale.

He noticed that she was now blinking back tears that had come to her eyes and a pang of guilt wrenched him as he realized that he'd really startled her. The night was almost completely black except for the lantern light from the window in the main room of the school and some hints of moonlight that reflected through the clouds. He took a step toward her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you…"

"What did you think you were going to do, calling to me from in the shadows?" she retorted, clearly annoyed. She brought a gloved hand up to her eyes and wiped them with one swipe.

"I…whoa...wait a minute. Where do you come off being angry at me?" he demanded now, outraged that she had the audacity to be angry when she was the one who was deceiving him. "You and your father have kept things from me, you've manipulated me and you've held me hostage and detained me from returning to my men..."

"We've been trying to help you, Shang…" she interjected, softly but defensively.

He didn't allow her to finish.

"Did it ever occur to you that you could have just told me what you had planned and let me decide for myself what I wanted to do?"

She didn't respond.

"Maybe you meant well," he added, his voice softer now, "but that's my troop out there and I had every right to make my own decision."

"Yes, you did have that right," she answered quietly, her eyes meeting his. "I'm sorry."

The tree behind him cast a diffuse shadow that fell over part of her face, making it hard for him to see her expression. Her eyes looked like dark pools. They were open, honest eyes, he thought as he gazed at them. The two of them remained silent for several moments, staring at each other in the dim light, snow falling softly on them. It was becoming heavier and denser now than it had been just minutes ago and a snowflake had landed on one of her eyelashes. He had an impulse to bring his hand up to brush it away for her, but it melted just as he began to raise his arm. He let it drop back to his side, feeling sheepish as he realized that he'd almost done something that she might have seen as improper.

"You must be cold," she finally said, breaking the silence.

He'd been so focused on watching Mulan and the others to find out what they were doing he had forgotten that he never put a robe or a coat on over his tunic; and he'd been so wrapped up in his anger and indignation that he hadn't realized he was shivering and his teeth were chattering now.

"Yes."

"I'll make you some tea when we're inside."

"Thank you," he murmured, still staring at her eyes.

For a moment she held his gaze. Then she turned toward the school and indicated that she wanted to go inside.

"I'm getting cold. And they're going to wonder where I am."

As she walked away he leaned down and scooped up the straw figure that she'd dropped onto the ground and forgotten about. There were no arrows in it. He dusted the snow off of it and caught up to her, indicating the figure to her as he walked by her side, showing her that he had it.

"Oh, thanks. I forgot I dropped it."

"I guess your enemy figured out what you were doing this time," he remarked.

"Yeah, my father said they would figure it out. He was surprised they didn't after the first round."

An exasperated sigh escaped him as he silently agreed with that sentiment; he'd been wondering himself just how long his captain had taken to figure it out. He was about to ask her where Hua Zhou was but decided against it.

There was a shift change shortly after they were inside, and the students that had been lowering the dummies over the wall now turned in while the ones that had just woken up went out to stand watch. Right now, Shang's troop appeared to be remaining wherever they were, off in the dark somewhere, and they didn't seem to be making any move to charge toward the school. Apparently the two sides were still observing one another warily. He felt relieved to see that Captain Liang wasn't storming the place in anger after the trick these rebels had played on him; that would not have been wise. And now that the snow was falling heavier with every moment, the layer of white on the ground becoming deeper, he was hoping the captain had withdrawn and let the troop take cover until the weather cleared up.

Hua Zhou emerged from one of the sleeping quarters along the corridor and stepped into the main room, looking somewhat dismayed to see Shang up and about. But he suppressed the expression quickly and nodded to him.

"General Li."

"Honorable Hua Zhou."

"Father, they didn't take the bait this time."

"It was bound to happen. We were lucky to accumulate as much as we did."

Mulan nodded then turned to Shang.

"I'll bring you some tea, Shang."

She gestured to the private study.

Suppressing a sigh, he nodded and went off into the room, sliding the door closed. He was still angry with Hua Zhou, and he didn't trust himself to remain there; he feared he might have started to speak loudly and rudely. No matter what had happened, he owed respect to this man who was older than him and who had been a friend to his father. And whatever the method, his intention had been to help him, not harm him. Despite his irritation, he knew that deep in his heart.

He remained next to the door, attempting to listen to father and daughter as they spoke softly about what had been happening this far during the night. Their voices dropped in pitch so often that he only picked up parts of the conversation. Giving up, he moved away from the door and took a seat at the table, leaning his elbows on it and dropping his face in his hands. He wanted to talk to her. Though there was no guarantee that she would reveal anything to him, she did genuinely seem to regret that they had kept things from him and hadn't allowed him to make his own choice. Maybe now she would feel guilty enough to provide him with an explanation to the things he asked.

The conversation he'd had with Li Meng-shi was still fresh in his mind too. He wasn't sure how much she would know about that, but after witnessing the routine with the straw dummies he was more sure than ever that the purpose of that meeting was to keep him occupied while Mulan and the others tricked his troop out of their supply of arrows.

"Mulan," he muttered to himself and sighed.

He couldn't help feeling annoyed with her too even though he knew she had only been doing what Hua Zhou told her to do; she was a filial daughter who would never disobey her honored father.

But he felt he had been taken advantage of. He recalled her father's words the morning after he'd been brought there, that she knew he was in danger and had left the palace to warn him; she hadn't said the words, but Hua Zhou claimed that he knew his daughter and that she didn't have to. The retired warrior knew that he had a soft spot for her, he thought angrily, and he used that to play him, making him feel guilty about her predicament and beholden to her for risking herself to help him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open and he sat up with a start. His anger began to dissipate as he watched her enter the room carrying in a teapot and two cups. She set them on the table then went back to shut the door behind her.

She took a seat beside him and filled one of the cups, pushing it toward him.

"Thank you."

He closed his hands around the warm cup, lifting it and taking a sip.

"Mulan…" he began, then trailed off, at a loss as to how he wanted to continue. He couldn't understand why his thoughts, why his emotions and sentiments seemed to be constantly shifting, as if with the wind, ever since he'd been staying in this school, since he'd been around Mulan again; and he found that his mind had gone completely blank now. He stared at the liquid in the cup, frowning as he tried to think of exactly what he wanted to say to her.

She was gazing at him, waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, she spoke up.

"Shang, my father…he thought it would be easier for you if you didn't have to make a decision to fight against your own men…so he wanted to keep you out of it…"

He shook his head slowly, feeling the anger rising in him again.

"He still had no right to make the decision for me."

She stared into her own cup now with a crestfallen expression, falling silent and looking somewhat lost. He closed his eyes and sighed softly as his anger dissolved again, feeling slightly ashamed that he'd doubted her intentions and had directed his anger toward her. For as long as he'd known her she had acted as a friend to him and had done nothing but come to his aid when he needed it, risking her own safety, her own life on more than one occasion. And he'd just told her earlier that very night that he believed her and that he considered her a friend. How could he forget that? How could he think to blame her for everything?

He opened his eyes again and shifted his gaze back to her.

"My troop believes that I've been killed."

"Yes," she answered looking up from her cup. "Wang Xiao brought the message to them, and by now word is on its way to Luo Di."

"Did Wang Xiao also bring my troop here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"So they will believe that they've defeated us."

"You mean, he started it…?"

She nodded.

"And then what? You'll regroup and meet up somewhere else?"

"Yes."

"The men in my troop know that you're here, Mulan. They won't stop until they've captured you."

"I'm not staying here."

"Where are you going?"

"With Li Meng-shi. Whatever happens, I can't stay here much longer. And this way I can make sure that he gets to his destination safely. It's very important that he reach Taiyuan and find the man named Li."

"What?" he exclaimed in astonishment.

"Taiyuan is where he believes he will find the Mandated Son of Heaven."

"I know. But…Mulan, Li Meng-shi suggested that I go to Taiyuan with him."

"Oh."

It became clear to him that until that moment she had no idea that this is what the priest had spoken to him about. Her father hadn't shared everything with her either.

"Are you going to go?" she asked softly.

He sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go. I'm considered dead right now so I can't go back to my troop unless I want Luo Di to find out that they 'made an error' in their message to him. They could get in a lot of trouble for that."

"And Luo Di would send someone else to kill you too."

"Yes. I suppose I should go with Li Meng-shi."

Shang took a deep breath and recounted to her the conversation that he'd had with the priest.

"I still find it hard to believe," he added when he'd finished. "I haven't made up my mind yet."

"But he's right. You do know of someone named Li there."

"Two men," he answered with a nod. "A father and a son. My father knew the family and fought with Li Jing in several battles. He's been stationed at Taiyuan for a few years now and his son Zhi-xu is around my age. He's also a soldier."

"How much do you know about them?"

Shang sighed. "Li Jing was a good soldier according to my father."

He fell silent, frowning as he thought about Zhi-xu, feeling a tinge of the old resentment he'd always felt when his father spoke of him, bubbling over with praise and enthusiasm for this prodigy.

"What about the son?" she prodded gently.

"Li Zhi-xu…" he began, distantly.

Mulan must have noticed his sour expression. "You don't like him?"

"I never met him. My father always said that he was remarkable. His talent, his swordsmanship…"

"Maybe he's the one…"

"Yes," Shang conceded, reluctantly. "He did say that Zhi-xu had a special aura about him and he was destined for great things."

He felt her soft hand fall gently on his own hand and turned to look at her, a small appreciative smile beginning to play around his lips. But she spoke before he could.

"Thank you, Shang."

"For what?"

"Now we'll know exactly who to seek out when we get there."

**xxxxxxx **

They had turned in for the night shortly after finishing their tea. Now, long after day had begun, they stood with Hua Zhou and the others, staring at the blanket of white that covered the bottom half of the windows.

"What about the students on watch?" Master Jiang exclaimed in alarm. "Are they still out there?"

"No, no. I called them back inside when the snow wouldn't let up. They're safe in their sleeping quarters."

The old teacher exhaled deeply, clearly relieved that his students, whom he cared for deeply, were safe.

"We can't get out of here," Hua Zhou continued. "But they can't get in either. We're at an impasse."

Mulan knew that one of their neighbors had been checking on her mother and grandmother on the nights that her father was here at the school to make sure they were alright, but it occurred to her that they might be worried about him.

"Baba, would Mama or Grandma have any reason to think that you would have been traveling in this weather?"

He turned to his daughter and smiled reassuringly. "They knew I would be staying here."

"Good," she murmured, relieved.

"Mulan, as soon as the snow begins to melt and it becomes possible to move through it on horseback, you and Li Meng-shi will depart for Taiyuan. We will seal up the weapons cellar until we can get them all out of here. Master Jiang will remain here at the school with his original students and continue as before, working on calligraphy. The rest of us will return to our homes in town and regroup when it's safe to do so."

"What about Ao-li? He never returned…and Wang Xiao."

"Ao-Li is in Sui Xian and will remain there for now. When the time is right I will send word to him and the groups from both villages will join together. And Wang Xiao will somehow find a way to part from the Imperial troop and return to town as well. I have no doubt that he will figure something out."

"Forgive me for interrupting, Honorable Hua Zhou," Shang began.

"Go ahead, General."

"What about my troop? When the weather clears, they will come here to fight you again. And they'll be looking for Mulan as well."

He nodded. "We will hold them off until she is safely away with Li Meng-shi."

Mulan watched as her father laid a hand on Shang's shoulder and patted it comfortingly.

"Come with me, General Li. I know that Mulan has explained some things to you, but I feel I owe you a more complete explanation."

"That's alright, sir. I understand…"

"I would still like to explain and offer you an apology."

A relieved smile spread across her face as she watched her father lead him to the private study. She knew how deceived and upset and angry Shang felt about everything and that he had every right to. Her father had given her permission to begin to explain things to him the night before and she was glad that now he would reveal everything else to Shang.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow soon.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to all who have continued to read and review. Next chapter is up. It's a long one but I wanted to get the story moving a little more.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 13 _

Despite the impending confrontation that was inevitable once the weather cleared, Mulan and the other students passed the time in the main room practicing calligraphy with Master Jiang as the blizzard continued for almost a full day. Every hour or so, the students took turns going out in small groups to clear a passable path between the school and the separate building with the toilets, and from the front door to the stables off to the side in the front courtyard so they could feed and water the horses. They had enough water stored in the kitchen so they wouldn't need to worry about access to the well for another day. They had fetched as much as they could for their drinking, cooking and bathing needs while the weather had been mild.

Mulan looked up from the practice slab she was bent over, becoming aware of Shang the moment he entered the room. Even without his armor, dressed in just a plain tunic and trousers he was an eye-catcher, handsome and distinguished; and he moved with confidence, his posture straight and proud as he strode toward her. He came around to stand behind her and gazed over her shoulder at the characters she was working on.

"You have a fine hand," he remarked softly.

She gestured for him to sit beside her. "I can get you a practice slab and some brushes and ink if you'd like to work on your own calligraphy."

He shook his head and took the seat next to her, continuing to intently study the characters she'd painted. She turned away from him and bent over the slab again, her cheeks flushing warm as she began to feel vulnerable from the way he was scrutinizing her work. It was well-known that the artist's mood at the time that they painted could be easily perceived in the characters they created, and there were many who believed that even more than just the mood could be inferred.

"It's just practice," she offered in explanation of whatever he may have believed that he perceived about her from analyzing the characters she'd drawn.

"Mm-hmm. It's still very good."

"Thank you." She looked up when he made no move but continued to stare at the characters. "Are you sure you don't want to work on your own? It's distracting for me to have you just sitting there watching me."

"Well, actually…whenever you're done practicing, I'd like to talk to you."

She set her brush aside and pushed her seat back. "We can talk now. I'll practice again later."

They stood up and walked to the private study together.

"It's just to pass the time anyway," she added as she slid the door closed behind them. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Taiyuan."

Her eyebrows went up in surprise but she nodded and joined him at the table. She was sad at the thought of leaving her own village and her family again, even if it was for the good of her country as well as her own safety. But if Shang came too it would make it easier; she enjoyed his company and was happy to be in his presence again these past days since he'd come to the school. She would be more than pleased if he made the journey with her.

"You've made a decision then?"

"I just want to talk more."

A serious and somewhat troubled expression had settled across his features and he stared at the surface of the table with a frown. She felt a pang of guilt as she watched him and there was a slight ache in her heart as she brooded about the fact that every time she'd had any involvement with this man whom she cared deeply about she seemed to be deceiving him in one way or another. It was a wonder he was even still willing to look at her, yet alone speak to her.

"When you go with Li Meng-shi, will you still be disguised as Master Jiang's son?"

"I suppose so," she answered. "Although Luo Di's men know to look for me possibly disguised as a man anyway, so I'm not sure if it even matters."

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

She looked up in surprise, feeling her face become warm again as she noticed how intently he was staring into her face. "Nothing."

"Mulan, listen…I understand why you had to resort to the methods you did," he began, as if he'd read her mind. "I was angry that you deceived me, but I realize why you did. And I wasn't just angry at you, or your father; the truth is he saved my life by having Mao watched and by arranging it so Luo Di will be convinced that I'm not a threat. It's everything…" He sighed and he appeared to be struggling for the words. "Everything that's happened…no matter what I do, things seem to just happen around me…my life isn't my own."

"Well, that's how it is for all of us. We're all bound to other people and to what's expected of us, and things are always happening that are beyond our control."

"But…you seem to work around it somehow and turn it to your advantage. I feel like I'm just swept along…I've worked so hard for such a long time to get where I am, to follow in my father's footsteps…I've tried to do everything right, every step of the way, and still Luo Di wanted to kill me…"

"That's not your fault, Shang. He's a madman and he saw you as a threat. It seems like he's killing everyone..."

He sighed and a sad, faraway look came to his eyes as he spoke. "I worked so hard to become a fine general like my father. My whole life I trained hard to be in top physical condition and to be a great warrior. It was my birth right and it was expected of me…and it's what I wanted. I took every one of his lessons about honor and duty to heart, and I've done my best to live by those values and be a good leader. And it doesn't even seem to matter. I'm manipulated so easily and I have no control over anything; instead, everyone has control over me. Your father, everyone…"

"Shang, you're a terrific leader. You're confident and courageous, and you care about your men. It's not that you're easily manipulated; you have a conscience and you're compassionate. That makes you consider all of the possibilities."

That innate compassion that she spoke of was what made him spare her life, she thought to herself; but she didn't mention it. It was old history now and there was no point in dredging it up.

"But that's just it, Mulan…that's what makes me weak…my conscience and compassion…"

"I think it makes you strong," she argued, urgently. It pained her to see him so upset and full of self-doubt, especially when she saw all that was good in him. "I certainly don't think you're weak and neither does my father, Shang. He views you as a talented young man faced with difficult decisions, and he wanted to help guide you. He was once a general to the Emperor too and he knows how difficult it can be. You're the youngest man to ever be given the rank of general…"

"Maybe I was too young," he replied distantly, staring into space still with distant, glazed-over eyes. "Even when my father made me a captain, maybe it was too much too soon…"

"But you did a great job as captain…"

"I don't know about that. It's because you were there that everything turned out alright…you saved my life twice…"

Mulan felt her cheeks grow warm as she became filled with pride at his compliment. "But I wouldn't have been able to do that, to succeed the way I did without your excellent tutelage. I learned many lessons from you."

He blinked and roused himself, focusing his gaze on her now.

"Yes, I taught you how to balance a bucket of water on your head and deflect stones with a staff at the same time."

She began to laugh and his expression lightened a little as he laughed with her.

"More than that. You taught me about honor and doing what's right, too," she told him, becoming serious again. She noted his astonished look and nodded, continuing. "You're a wise leader, and a brave and honorable man; you make good moral choices. It doesn't matter what anyone else does around you, or even what they think. You know that you've done the right thing. That's more important than anything else, Shang. I learned that from you."

Shang looked clearly taken aback. After a few moments he finally spoke.

"How do you do that?" he asked softly.

"Do what?"

But he just shook his head, not answering.

Mulan clasped her hands together in her lap and stared at them, feeling uncomfortable as she wondered what it was she had done. Apparently it was nothing terrible since he was still there talking to her and he didn't look angry.

"You always know exactly the right thing to say to me," he replied finally, staring at her intently again.

"Oh," she answered simply, looking at him in surprise.

She fidgeted, at a loss as to what else to say to that.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked finally.

"Li Meng-shi is sure that I'm meant to be involved in all of this. Apparently he can tell just by looking at my face," he remarked. He rested his elbow on the table and leaned his cheek against his hand, gazing past her and into space again with a thoughtful frown.

"He's an unusual guy. My father swears by his predictions. He was the spiritual advisor to Wu Di and his talent and insight is genuine."

"I still can't believe that there's been such an uproar over a song that they're singing in taverns, but I understand that it's the meaning of the words that has got everyone so upset. The interpretation."

"The symbolism of this song is very cryptic," Mulan answered with a nod. "I'm not very good with the interpretation, but my father is a follower of the Dao so I was brought up with the teachings…"

"I was too. And I've seen the way people are living everywhere. For about three years I'd been in the Imperial City and I had no idea what was going on. Before I left I was at a dinner that Luo Di gave for his generals. He had decorated the trees in the gardens around the palace because there was a foreign diplomat visiting. I overheard the diplomat ask Luo Di how he had clothing for the trees when the people have no food. The comment really struck me, but I hadn't seen what he was talking about until I left the palace."

"I was in Chang'an for three years, too. But I saw from the inside how Luo Di has been handling his affairs and the affairs of this country. It made me wonder just how everyday people were being affected."

Shang sat up straight, looking resolved.

"I have a good excuse for contacting Li Jing and his son, since my father knew them. That might give Li Meng-shi easier access than if he were to just contact them cold."

"Yes, I agree," she answered quietly, suppressing the small smile that began to come to her lips. He seemed to be contemplating coming to Taiyuan with them, and she wanted to let him make up his own mind without influencing him in any way; however strongly she wanted him to choose to go with them, it had to be his choice.

The door slid open and Hua Zhou entered the room.

"The snow is beginning to let up, Mulan. Make sure that you're ready to go so that as soon as it's possible to travel you can get out of here."

"I'm already packed, Baba. It will just be a matter of saddling up and we can leave immediately. Do we have a horse for Li Meng-shi? Or will he ride with me?"

"We have a horse for him, but he's not a horseman," her father answered with a slight chuckle. "He'll ride with you."

"If you have an extra horse, I'll ride him," Shang offered. "I don't have one anymore, and if I want to be inconspicuous an Imperial stallion won't be a good choice of transportation to Taiyuan anyway."

Mulan couldn't help but smile at his words. Her father suppressed the astonished and pleased expression that flickered briefly across his face.

"Very good, General. I will see that you have supplies to take with you since your things were left at camp. We'll get them ready now."

"Thank you."

Hua Zhou left the room, sliding the door closed behind him, and Shang turned back to Mulan, catching the smile on her face and folding his arms across his chest.

"You knew I was going to decide to come, didn't you?" he demanded playfully, his characteristic lopsided smile in place.

She averted her eyes, feeling her face becoming warm again. "Well, I was hoping you would," she answered softly. "But I didn't want to influence you…"

The next thing he did took her completely by surprise. He reached out and clasped her hand warmly, then lifted it and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.

**xxxxxxx **

By early in the night the blizzard had subsided, leaving them surrounded by two feet of snow. They had slept overnight for a few hours at Hua Zhou's instruction, and now in the early morning Mulan and Shang slipped and slid along the poorly cleared path to the stable to load their things on the two largest horses. Li Meng-shi had very little and Mulan packed his things on her own steed.

Shang helped her water and feed all of the horses quickly, then they made their way back toward the school. Fortunately it wasn't cold anymore and with any luck the temperature would remain mild. Her father and Master Jiang were at the front door, watching as some of the students now worked on clearing a path to the front gate so they could lead the horses out.

"The snow is quite deep," Hua Zhou remarked. "It has warmed up and the sun is shining, so hopefully by the time night falls again, some of it will have melted. In any event, it should be hard and easier to walk on in a few hours. It will be quite a difficult journey and you won't cover much ground, but you can get a head start. If you can make your way even to the next village, you will be at least that far ahead of the Imperial troops, and you'll be gone by the time they come back here. General Li, I believe that you had sent scouts to Sui Xian."

Shang nodded.

"A couple of them. My scouts will recognize me if they see me. And they might recognize Mulan too."

"It would be wise for you both to dress like Li Meng-shi so your faces will be covered. If people think you're both monks as well that wouldn't be a bad thing."

At night fall Shang and Mulan donned dark hooded cloaks similar to the one that Li Meng-shi wore and the three of them went back outside. The night was mild and eerily still in the aftermath of the storm as they fetched the horses and led them to the front gate. Li Meng-shi waited at the front gate attended by two students while Mulan went to bid her father goodbye, Shang walking beside her.

Mulan and her father embraced and she silently lamented having to leave him again so soon, as well as the fact that she wasn't able to see her mother and grandmother once more before she left. When she had finished her goodbyes and stepped back Shang moved forward and bowed to Hua Zhou, bidding him farewell and thanking him for saving his life.

Shang and her father exchanged a few words privately that she couldn't hear, then she and Shang moved back to the front gate. He helped Li Meng-shi onto his horse, then mounted in front of him. Mulan sat atop her own steed and glanced back once more at her father who had remained in the doorway, water welling up in her eyes. He waved and smiled reassuringly at her. She set her face into a smile and waved back, then turned away, letting the hood of the cloak obscure her face so no one would see her tears.

**xxxxxxx**

It took them two weeks to reach the village of Sui Xian, traveling just three to five miles a day before the horses became fatigued. They spent the nights in empty barns, many of them long abandoned by the farmers who could no longer sustain their lands. As the days went on, the snow slowly began to melt and the drifts receded, but the journey remained difficult and treacherous.

They checked into an inn when they arrived in Sui Xian, Shang sharing a room with Li Meng-shi, Mulan taking her own room. There was a school there where their allies were gathered and where Ao-li was staying, but Mulan felt it was better that they didn't go anywhere near that place. No one had bothered them during their journey; few people were out and they appeared to be three monks to anyone they did run into. But in the event that they'd caught someone's eye, like one of Shang's scouts, she didn't want to end up leading them right to their allies' location.

After a good night's rest in Sui Xian, they replenished their supply of food and water and continued northeast to Zhengzhou. Their plan was to stop there to warm up, rest and restock their supplies and then head north from there, circumventing the second capital of Luoyang, which would be swarming with Imperial guards, and moving due north to Taiyuan.

As they drew closer to Zhengzhou Shang found himself wondering more and more about the boy that he'd encountered the first time he was there. When they arrived there his eyes darted around, seeking out the thin, dirty face of the boy among the dour, melancholy faces in the crowds that they passed through. He half-hoped to see him there but knew in his heart that the chances that the boy was even still alive were slim.

Shang found the inn next to the tavern where he'd been daily with General Zhao the last time he'd been in town and they checked in. Then he went out with the excuse of running an errand, walking through the snow-covered streets until he found himself standing before the bakery where the incident had occurred, the boy's face haunting him.

He roused himself finally and sighed, shaking his head and scolding himself inwardly for being so foolish. He turned away then and continued to trudge through the streets aimlessly, slowly drifting back toward the inn.

**xxxxxxx **

Mulan lowered herself into the basin of hot water with a contented sigh, relaxing as every pore in her skin began to feel clean just from being under water finally. Though they'd had water for bathing at the school they had to use it sparingly, as they often found the water in the well frozen over during the cold winter. That meant hand-washing the body with a wet cloth and cleansing oils and soap but no baths. It felt good to be immersed in hot water after so long and to really be able to wash her hair, which had been feeling greasy and stringy of late.

Lingering for as long as she could after washing, she finally roused herself from the basin as the water became lukewarm and then finally cool. She dried off and dressed again, then retrieved a comb from her pack and ran it through her hair, something else she hadn't been doing too often lately.

Once her hair had dried considerably she moved to the window and glanced out. The streets were crowded and there appeared to be a bustling market nearby. She threw on her cloak and wrote a quick note to Shang and Li Meng-shi which she slid under their door after stepping out of her room. Then she pulled her hood up over her face and headed down to the street and outside.

"Hua Mulan," a gruff and unfamiliar male voice called out sharply as she strode through the snow passed the vendors that were lined up along the street, fires lit beside them to keep them warm.

Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped in her tracks. How had she been recognized, even dressed in the cloak with her face obscured by the hood? She decided to attempt to appear nonchalant, as if she'd stopped for another reason, and glanced over the wares at the stand that she happened to have halted in front of. It took every ounce of self-control she had to not turn around and look for the man who had addressed her. The vendor asked if he could help her and she took the opportunity to look as if she was truly just shopping in the market, engaging him in conversation and attempting to barter with him.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of swirling red material as a man in an Imperial officer's uniform came up to stand beside her, listening as she continued to converse with the vendor. The officer now reached up and yanked the hood of her cloak back. She whirled around to face him, schooling her face into a look of shock, as if she had no idea why an Imperial officer would have any business with her.

"Hua Mulan, you will come with me."

She squinted at him and prepared to put on as good an act as she knew how. "I believe you have me confused with somebody else."

"No I don't. I've seen you at the palace and I would recognize you anywhere, even dressed as and impersonating a man and a soldier."

"You're mistaken, sir," she insisted. "I'm no soldier. I'm a monk."

The officer laughed.

"Like I'm a monk," he sneered sarcastically and seized her arm, beginning to drag her away. She glanced around wildly, looking toward the vendor that she'd been bargaining with for help, but he had already retreated behind his stand, wishing to have nothing to do with any affair involving an Imperial soldier.

"I've been following you and your two friends since you came into town this morning and I recognized you the moment I caught a glimpse of your face, even underneath that hood. And seeing you again now, I was able to distinguish you from your other hooded friends, given how much shorter you are. I'm taking you to the Imperial City where you will receive punishment for your treason, Hua Mulan."

With his other hand he pawed at her topknot, pulling the tie out. She shook her hair out of her face as it cascaded down around it.

She struggled as she was yanked away and continued to turn her head this way and that, looking frantically for someone who might help her; but people either didn't see her or, like the vendor, didn't want to come within ten feet of an officer who was charged with enforcing Luo Di's laws and contributing to their oppressed and difficult lives.

The officer's hand was clasped tightly around her wrist as he pulled her along with him, and something that her father had once told her came back to her, jogged from her memory by the pain that the soldier's hold was inflicting on her forearm. Her wrist was turned downward and it was there where the man's fingers and thumb came together to close his grasp. It was also the weakest part of his grip.

"It's instinct when someone grabs you by the wrist to try to pull your own arm back and away," her father had told her during one of the basic self-defense lessons he had given her. "But it's here that's the weakest part of the grasp."

He had grasped her wrist to demonstrate, pointing out the weak part that he was talking about with his other hand and instructing her to attempt to pull her arm back and away.

"Now," he'd said when she'd failed to pull out of his grasp, "instead, push your arm downward, against the place where my thumb and fingers touch."

Her father had maintained a powerful grip on her wrist. But when she had pushed her arm downward against the place where his fingers and thumb met instead of trying to pull back and away, she succeeded in breaking his hold.

Mulan glanced at the Imperial officer's hand. The top side of it was locked firmly against her forearm, providing the power that was behind his grip; but the place where thumb and fingers met was on the bottom, along her wrist, just as her father had said. The weakest point, the place where the grasp could be easily forced to open. She relaxed for a moment, ceasing to struggle and letting him lead her, then she suddenly pushed her arm downward, succeeding in breaking his hold and snatching her arm away, taking the opportunity of the brief moment of freedom to take off and put distance between herself and him.

He chased her and reached out to seize her, only grasping the material of her cloak. She allowed it to slip off of her body and into his hands, continuing to run away from him. Tossing the cloak away and cursing in disgust he ran and caught up to her again, throwing his arms around her waist and pushing her down into the snow with the weight of his body as he fell. She rolled over quickly, scrambling to get away, emitting a hoarse scream as he moved on top of her, swearing profusely, and pressed his knee into her chest, pinning her to the ground.

"It appears that you prefer to be killed here in the street instead of back at the palace. Very well. I will gladly oblige you and carry just your head back to the Emperor."

He removed his knee from her chest and drew his sword, seizing her arm again with his other hand and pulling her to her feet. With her free hand Mulan reached down and drew her own sword quickly, slashing wildly at his leg. She did very little harm to him, but at least she was able to slip out of his grasp again while he threw a stream of epithets at her in his surprise and fury. Realizing that she wasn't going to escape she took a defensive stance, holding her sword out and preparing to fight, as futile as that was.

Practicing with the students at the school had helped her get somewhat back in shape, but she was still a long way from being in the physical condition she'd been in after her stint at Shang's camp and her sword skills were rusty on top of that. This officer was a master and he overpowered her, his moves quick and sharp, each one made with finesse, each one deadlier than the previous one. She was so pumped up with adrenalin she barely noticed the cut he had made across her stomach and she felt no pain. For a short time she matched him blow for blow despite her fear, but it took every ounce of strength she had and she became tired too quickly. He disarmed her and knocked her backward onto the ground.

"Get up, wench!" he ordered gruffly, pulling her up onto her knees. He dropped his sword and roughly pulled both of her hands behind her back, binding them with a rope that he pulled from somewhere off of his person.

She looked up from where she knelt on the ground as he snatched up his sword again and held it over her; then she bent her head, staring down at the ground that was stained with drops of blood from her wound, waiting for him to bring the blade down across her neck.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: I know it's an evil cliffhanger and I'm already writing the next part. I promise to get Chapter 14 up quickly.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks again to all for reading and reviewing.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 14_

"General Huang."

Mulan looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Shang strode toward them quickly, an odd expression across his features as he stared down at her where she was crouched on the ground. The hooded figure of Li Meng-shi walked hurriedly a few steps behind him.

"General Li Shang," the officer remarked in surprise, his attention drawn away from Mulan momentarily. He laughed. "I see you brought the third party in your crowd along, too. I'm happy to see that the reports of your unfortunate demise were premature and greatly exaggerated. And won't Luo Di be surprised."

Shang slipped his cloak off, letting it fall to the ground, and he drew his sword, moving to stand between her and the officer, planting his feet firmly.

"Step aside, General Li. I am dispatching with this traitor."

"I'll take care of her. She's my prisoner and I will bring her to the Imperial City," Shang answered coolly.

She stared at Shang's back in shock, wondering if this was an act. What if he had just been going along with her father so he could get her away from him and then take her as a prisoner?

General Huang began to laugh again. "Somehow I doubt that given you didn't execute her the first time around, when you found out who and what she really was. I will take care of you first, then deal with her."

Several moments passed while the two men stood facing each other in silence, swords poised to fight. Mulan wriggled her wrists, with difficulty due to their position behind her back, attempting desperately to loosen the rope that bound them together.

The two soldiers lunged at one another finally and she watched the flashing metal of the two blades as they fought, continuing to try to ease her wrists out of the ropes. While Huang was busy fighting with Shang, Li Meng-shi took the opportunity to slip over to her. He knelt down and she felt him cut the ropes. Relieved to have the freedom of her hands again she brought them back to front and began to shake off the severed ropes, rubbing her wrists, which were now sore from her efforts.

"Come on," the priest murmured quietly, withdrawing his knife back within the confines of his cloak. "Let's get back to the inn so I can look at that wound."

"But Shang…"

"He'll be fine. We must get to the inn so I can treat you, and then we need to pack up so we can leave this city as soon as possible. The general will meet us at the stable after he dispatches with this officer. He asked me to get you away from here."

Mulan snatched up her own sword which had been knocked out of her hand and stood up, glancing at Shang worriedly, not registering Li Meng-shi's statement and his certainty that Shang would defeat the other man. All she could think was that Shang was as good a fighter as Huang but he wore no armor which made him much more vulnerable. The two warriors matched each other's moves, each one parrying and deflecting the other's blows, each one dodging and avoiding injury.

The priest gripped her arm and drew her away quickly. "Hurry. We must get you to a safe place where I can treat your injury. You're at risk for infection and you may need stitches."

But Huang caught sight of Li Meng-shi leading Mulan away and he dodged Shang's blow and circumvented him, leaping toward them. She stepped in front of the priest, sword poised to defend him as well as herself. Still fatigued from the earlier struggle she just barely deflected his blow and when she went to raise the sword again she found to her dismay that she was having difficulty lifting it, as if she'd lost her strength.

Fortunately Shang had pursued Huang and he lunged toward him now, thrusting his sword at Huang's side while the man was distracted and wounding him. Cursing profusely, he ignored Shang and lunged at Mulan again, swiping his sword at the level of her neck, apparently determined to take her with him no matter what. Li Meng-shi yanked her away and she narrowly avoided getting her head cut off as she fell backward, pulled down to the ground by the priest and landing on top of him. She rolled off quickly and whirled around to see if Shang was alright.

Her eyes fell on her would-be assassin lying on the ground before her, the white snow stained red with his blood. Shang had cleanly sliced his neck. Her heart seemed to have stopped completely and her breath caught in her throat.

Shang knelt down in front of her, obstructing her view of the dead man, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. A lump began to form in her throat as she stared into his concerned face.

"Are you alright, Mulan?"

Her heart began to start again, thudding rapidly in her chest, and her breath came out quick and labored now. She trembled all over as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm alright," she began hoarsely. "You?"

"Yes," he murmured, squeezing her shoulder gently.

"How did you both know to come here?"

"Li Meng-shi read your note and when I got back to the inn he met me at the door and told me we had to find you. He had a bad feeling, I guess."

"Even after practicing again, I've lost my touch," she muttered.

"Yes, I'll have to start drilling you again and whip you into shape," Shang remarked, smiling slightly.

She attempted a laugh but she was shaking all over and her voice broke, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Shang leaned in and put his arms around her, hugging her.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. That was Huang Kai-rong that you were fighting, Mulan."

Mulan looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. "That name means nothing to me. But you obviously knew him."

"Huang was one of the Emperor's most skilled and dangerous swordsmen."

"Oh." She extricated herself from his embrace, bringing a hand up to her eyes to wipe them. "He recognized me, even with the hood up. We must look suspicious. He said he saw us come into town and has been following us since then. Well, me..."

"I'm sorry to interrupt and I know you're upset," Li Meng-shi interjected, scrambling to his feet, "but we should really get moving."

Shang stood up then and held out a hand to help her to her feet. He scooped up the cloak that General Huang had tossed aside and put it around her shoulders. She clutched her stomach with one hand as the two men walked on either side of her, escorting her down the street toward the inn. The vendors had all disappeared and the street, which had been filled with people minutes ago, had completely emptied.

"Odd," Shang remarked. "It looks like everyone went into hiding."

"Everyone's afraid of the Imperial army now. They flee even at the sight of just one soldier," Li Meng-shi replied. "I know we need supplies, but we've been seen now and I'm sure he isn't the only officer stationed here. We may have more company soon and there's a good chance they will be looking for you as well as Mulan now, General Li. We need to leave this city as soon as I've treated her wound. We should aim to get to Jiaozuo quickly. We'll be past Luoyang then and any supplies that we can't obtain in the smaller villages we should be able to get there."

**xxxxxxx**

They continued to travel north as soon as their things were packed. It would take several days to reach Jiaozuo and they were traveling more slowly than desired that afternoon due to Mulan being sore from her wound, the bitter cold and the thin layer of ice that had formed over the ground. They rode until late in the night that first day of travel though, wanting to get as far away from Zhengzhou as they could. Long after dark fell they finally stopped at an empty farm several miles northwest, taking shelter in the barn. Shang curried the horses and Li Meng-shi cooked rice over the open fire while Mulan lay down to rest at their insistence. She felt somewhat spoiled with them doing all of the chores while she lay around, but Shang refused to allow her to even assist with grooming her own horse, behaving as if he was still her commanding officer.

With an exasperated sigh she stretched out on her back, bringing her arms up and resting her head on folded hands. She must have been more tired than she thought because she was opening her eyes to the sound of Shang's voice before she even realized she had fallen asleep. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Mulan, the food is ready."

"Okay," she rasped sleepily, rolling onto her side and yawning.

Shaking off the haze of sleep she sat up slowly then helped herself to standing, wincing as a twinge of pain flashed through her wound with each movement, and went to join them by the fire, helping herself to a bowl of rice. As they ate Shang began to ask Li Meng-shi questions about where they were going.

"Have you been to Taiyuan? Are you familiar with the surrounding area at all?"

He shook his head. "I'm from the Henan Province. I studied with a master in Hua Shan, the sacred mountain in the west."

"What exactly did your studies entail?"

"Checking to see if I'm qualified for the mission, General Li?" the priest chuckled mirthfully.

"No, sir," Shang answered, but even in the dim light of the fire Mulan could see that his face had turned slightly pink. "I'm just curious. I don't know much about it…"

"It's alright, I don't mind telling you. My father lived by the philosophies of the Dao and I began to study when I was seven. Those studies lasted for several years. During the day I did chores for my master, like any other apprentice. I chopped wood for fire, made repairs to his home, cooked. It was only at night that I was able to learn the incantations and other arts that I was expected to become proficient at, as well as study the great books and classics that were required. The same classics that were required of you to memorize, General Li, when you had to prepare for your civil service exams. I even read and memorized The Art of War as well as the laws of governing a nation."

"And then you became spiritual advisor to Wu Di?"

Li Meng-shi frowned at that question. "Yes."

"My father said you were only eighteen then," Mulan interjected.

He nodded. "Yes, but I fear that it was a little soon."

She was surprised to hear the doubt in his voice. "He said you were unusually gifted."

"Still, spiritual advisors earn their posts at an older age. I'm afraid I hadn't really attained true enlightenment at that point. But Wu Di had heard of me and requested my services. I couldn't turn him down. And I did learn much on the job. After he was assassinated I left Chang'an and went back to Hua Shan to return to my studies. Luo Di wanted to bring in his own advisor and I had no desire to serve him. I knew what he was already."

"Assassinated?" Shang looked at Mulan stunned. "They said he died of old age."

She shook her head. "He died in bed, from what appeared to be heart failure and no one ever suggested anything else, for fear of losing their heads. But there were whisperings. Many of us on the council believed his son arranged to have him poisoned."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time that happened. And then he took the throne," he mused. "He was the rightful heir."

"No," Li Meng-shi interjected. "He wasn't. Luo Di was the Second Prince. The Crown Prince was killed also."

She glanced at Shang who stared into the fire now, brooding.

"There was so much going on that I didn't even know about. Am I the most clueless man alive?"

The priest rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No, not at all. You just weren't tangled up in the politics there. And even as a general stationed in the Imperial City you didn't have the same contact as the members of the Emperor's council did."

"Maybe I should have been more tangled up in the politics there." There was a slight tinge of bitterness in the short laugh that he expelled. "I would have known that he was going to try to have me killed."

They fell silent for a few moments, their chopsticks clicking against the bowls the only sound.

"You said that Hua Shan is the point in the west?" Shang spoke up again.

"Yes. There are five sacred peaks, one in the center and one at each of the four directional points. Heng Shan, the northern peak, is in Shanxi, to the east of Taiyuan. Mulan, I believe that you will be safe in the city, but if necessary you can take shelter in the temple of Heng Shan."

"But you are certain that Taiyuan will be the center of the movement against Luo Di…" Shang began.

"Yes. It was prophesized long before even Wu Di came into power."

"Well, I can introduce you to Li Jing and Li Zhi-xu, but I'm wondering…what will happen exactly? I mean, will you tell them that you think one of them is destined to be the Emperor? I doubt that they have any idea…"

"So do I," the priest laughed. "But I will know from meeting them. Once I'm sure, it will be my job to act as an advisor. And I'm sure I won't be the only one involved. There is a priest at the temple of Heng Shan who I have no doubt is also looking for the Mandated Son of Heaven. He's extremely talented and he's rumored to be the reincarnation of Loek Yum Seen Si, the Immortal Teacher. His name is Li also."

**xxxxxxx**

Shang lay wide awake, thinking about the day's events, unable to sleep, General Huang's face in his mind. Somewhere he'd heard it said that the ultimate desire of a warrior was to lay down his sword. He understood that sentiment. Though he had been born to be a soldier and trained to kill, he had come to realize that he detested killing. It was his strong sense of his duty to his country, which had been drilled into him since he was a boy, and his instinct for survival that allowed him to continue to do so when the necessity arose; but he always felt disturbed afterward, even though he never killed without good reason. Today he'd had to protect Mulan; he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. Closing his eyes, he allowed the image of her visage to fill his mind and replace the unpleasant sight of Huang's that loomed in his head.

Li Meng-shi had given her a medicinal tea to help her sleep. Fortunately the wound she'd received from Huang's sword wasn't very deep and she hadn't needed stitches, but he knew that it was painful. And their accommodation for the night was less luxurious than originally intended. Like him and Li Meng-shi, she lay on a dusty bale of hay in another abandoned barn where they'd stopped for the night, not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement even without a wound. Shang had packed their things at the inn while Li Meng-shi disinfected and bandaged her wound. In an hour they had been on horseback again riding north out of Zhengzhou.

Since General Huang had recognized Mulan despite their 'monk' clothing that hid their faces, she had decided to dispense with the disguises. She now traveled with her hair down, wearing the hood up to keep herself warm rather than hide her face.

"Well, if they're expecting me to be disguised as a man, maybe they won't look twice at a woman," she reasoned when he balked at the idea.

Either way she was at risk and the sooner they got to Taiyuan the better. Li Meng-shi was certain that the main movement against Luo Di would be centered in that city and that Mulan would be protected by the people there. Then there was that retreat in the mountains to the east of the city that he had mentioned, where she could hide out.

With a soft sigh he turned onto his side and stared in the direction of the other end of the barn where he knew that she lay, unseen in the dark. The vision of her crouched on the ground, hands tied behind her back and head bent over, came back to the forefront of his mind. When he'd approached them in the street and set eyes on her there he'd felt momentarily dizzy and sick as he was reminded of another time that he saw her crouched on the ground like that.

Thinking that he heard a soft whimper in the dark he rose up, supporting himself on one arm.

"Mulan?"

There was no answer right away but he could sense that she was awake.

"Are you okay, Mulan?"

"Yes," she half-whispered finally. "I'm just a little sore, that's all."

Rising to his feet he wrapped his cloak around himself and crossed over to where she lay. As he approached she helped herself up to sitting, another soft whimper escaping her from the movement, and pulled her blanket up, wrapping herself in it.

Taking a seat beside her, he removed his own cloak and put it around her shoulders.

"I think the effects of Li Meng-shi's nasty tea have worn off."

"Do you want me to wake him? Maybe he can give you some more."

"No, it's okay. I don't want to disturb him. Besides, where are we going to make tea now?"

"Maybe he has something else he can give you."

"No, I'll be alright."

She still shivered, even with his cloak around her, and without thinking he put an arm around her to warm her. He realized what he was doing the moment his arm went about her shoulders but she didn't seem to mind; in fact, she inched closer to him and leaned in, so he allowed it to remain where it was.

"That was a good act you put on before," she remarked, still in a half-whisper. "I wasn't sure if you meant it or not."

"Oh, you mean when I told Huang you were my prisoner?"

"Yes."

"I had to do what I could to prevent him from hurting you."

"Thank you for coming to my aid."

"Well, I did have help. But it was the least I could do. You saved my life more than once and so did your father. Besides, I promised him I would look after you."

"I can handle myself," she answered dejectedly. "Well, for the most part."

"I know that. And so does your father. But I promised. And I wanted to."

Even in the dark he could sense the smile on her face. He smiled too as he felt her leaning against him, his arm still around her. They sat huddled like that for a long time, wide awake and whispering together in the dark.

**xxxxxxx**

After her experience in Zhengzhou she became particularly wary and alert as they continued to travel north. Maybe it was due to her newly-acquired extreme sensitivity that she sensed they were being followed by someone as they left the area where they'd spent the night and traveled toward Jiaozuo. She didn't actually see anyone; but she could have sworn that she caught a figure darting out of sight every time she turned around. After mentioning it to her companions, Shang circled back quietly a few times to try to catch their shadow; but whoever it was hid before he reached their position and remained a shadow.

"You're sure you saw someone?" Shang asked quietly after checking for the fourth time.

"I'm not sure of anything," Mulan replied. "But I have a feeling there's someone following us."

"Well, whoever it is may realize that they've been seen. So they're being careful," Li Meng-shi offered.

"Yes," he agreed. "We'll have to draw whoever it is out somehow."

They continued on their way, but she noticed that Shang kept one hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks to all for reading and reviewing.

**xxxxxxx **

_Chapter 15 _

Leaving his steed behind this time, Shang quietly crept through the brush on foot, back tracking toward where they had come from. Mulan and Li Meng-shi remained hidden in a thicker section of the forest, the two horses left with them.

He stopped and remained motionless as he heard the sound of four-legged footfalls in the distance, slowly approaching his position. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it in an instant. Peering through the brush he blinked rapidly in surprise as a dark-clad figure came in sight, astride a sorry-looking donkey instead of a horse. This was probably someone from a nearby village that was on their way there, he assessed quickly. There was no way this person could have been following them all the way from Zhengzhou on this particular animal; the creature would be unable to keep up with their horses, yet alone cover that amount of distance. Whoever this was, he apparently couldn't afford a horse, or even a decent donkey. The pathetic animal was skinny, almost emaciated, and it appeared tired and haggard.

As the donkey drew near he kept still, allowing the stranger to pass by the spot where he was crouched. Allowing him to get ahead Shang followed him from a distance, staying off the trail still and keeping the donkey in sight as he returned to where his friends were hidden. Though he had no reason to believe that this person was a threat in any way he'd learned that things weren't always what they seemed. It was better to be cautious.

He rejoined Mulan and Li Meng-shi after the stranger disappeared from sight.

"We heard someone pass by here," she told him quietly.

"It was someone on a donkey. It's nothing to worry about. We'll let him get ahead and then move out."

A short while later they were on horseback again continuing toward Jiaozuo.

"We will have to be careful in Jiaozuo," Li Meng-shi said quietly as they rode along at an easy trot. "I fear that there may be Imperial soldiers there as well, waiting for you."

"I think we'll be fine as long as I stay hidden," Mulan answered sullenly. "In Zhengzhou I went out to the market, not considering that I would be recognized or that we had been followed."

"Yes, it should have occurred to all of us that we might have been trailed," Shang remarked.

"I won't make that mistake again," she added emphatically.

"We'll be there in a couple of days," the priest continued. "It might be better if we pass through there quickly, stopping only to obtain the supplies we need and then continuing on our way."

**xxxxxxx**

Mulan's eyes snapped open as she woke with a start, biting back a scream that began to emerge from her throat, cutting it off sharply. She gulped and bolted upright, her chest heaving as she attempted to catch her breath. Sweat dripped from her brow despite how cold she was and her tunic was drenched with perspiration. Bringing her hand up to her forehead she wiped it with her sleeve then took a deep breath and tried to get her bearings. It was pitch black around her and she instantly remembered that they were settled in another deserted barn for the night. She heaved a sigh and pulled her blanket tighter around her, then lay down again. They'd had a long hard day of riding that day, but she expected that she wouldn't fall back asleep any time soon. Fear permeated her, choking her and leaving her with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach; and her mind would be much too active now despite her exhaustion.

Today had been the first fairly warm day since they left Shangqiu and the snow had begun to melt. Taking advantage of that fact, they had covered as much ground as they could, traveling at a canter for much of the day when they reached open terrain. With any luck they had shaken their shadow, if one existed and she wasn't imagining it, and they'd cut in half the time that it would take to reach Jiaozuo.

They wouldn't be staying there as originally planned. Mulan trusted in Li Meng-shi as a mystic and seer, and she had the sense that Shang did too after all was said and done. It was already decided that they would be better off passing through Jiaozuo quickly as he had recommended, stopping only to obtain the supplies they needed and then continuing on their way.

Her tent was spread out beneath her but the material did very little to help separate her from the cold, hard ground. She turned onto her side, shivering as she recalled images of the nightmare she'd just woken from, images of her family.

Soft snores reached her ears from the other side of the barn, signaling that both her companions were asleep. Shang had stayed up with her the night before and her lips curved into a slight smile as she thought of it. He'd draped his arm around her, keeping it there to warm her; and she'd ached to be closer to him the moment he touched her. It had been cold in their shelter and she'd unabashedly moved in and leaned against him, enjoying the strength and heaviness of his arm around her, and the warmth and comfort of his body, hard with muscle yet soft and comfortable at the same time. They had talked for hours, almost never running out of things to say, and even the silent moments were comfortable.

As always, she had enjoyed being in his company immensely. But her own actions disturbed her too and she frowned now as her doubts nagged at her. Nothing had happened; they weren't alone after all so there wasn't too much they could do with the priest in the barn with them. Nevertheless their physical contact wasn't completely proper for an unmarried man and woman. She knew she ought to know better. But the truth was that she wouldn't hesitate to give herself to him no matter what might or might not happen afterward and it frightened her somewhat.

It was clear that she wasn't meant to be a bride. Her performance at the matchmaker's proved that beyond a doubt, and she had come to accept that. After all, she'd accomplished other things that were worthwhile and, even though she was looked down upon by many, there were people who respected and admired her. People whose opinions mattered much more to her, like Shang and her family.

Though she couldn't assume that Shang felt that way about her, last night he certainly seemed to want to be near her as much as she wanted to be near him. Still, he'd been married before, bonded to a woman very unlike her no doubt. And he was probably still in mourning over both wife and child. What did she expect would happen then? She knew that she wouldn't become a wife to anyone and circumstances right now certainly weren't favorable toward her having the same life that any normal woman would have; but it never occurred to her that she would ever become anyone's lover either; especially not Li Shang's.

Her father's words echoed back to her. _You shouldn't get your hopes up._ He had recognized her feelings for her captain right away and it hadn't escaped his attention that she never completely stopped wondering about Shang. Maybe she never stopped hoping.

The attraction to him had always been there. At Wu Zhong she'd been taken with his looks, mostly; his muscular body and handsome features, his prowess at fighting, his excellent teaching. But that had been nothing more than the crush of a young and inexperienced girl, and a superficial one at that. Somewhere along the lines that crush had developed into respect and admiration. They were now good friends that had remained connected somehow despite the fact that they'd been apart for such a long time. She cared deeply for him. Not that she didn't still appreciate his incredible physique and good looks; but her feelings toward him had morphed into something so much deeper, something that was intricately part of her being. A certain intimacy had started to grow between them now that they had encountered each other again, though a few years had passed, fueled somehow by the wondering about him that she'd done in that time. Maybe Shang had wondered about her, too. Often he seemed to know what she was going to say before she said it; and she found that she could guess at what he was thinking too.

Mulan shifted restlessly and abruptly flipped onto her back again, annoyed at herself. It was ridiculous to even be brooding about something so comparatively meaningless, and very silly really. There were much more serious issues to worry about, including the nightmare she'd just had and what it could possibly mean. They had a mission to complete, getting Li Meng-shi to Taiyuan, and both their lives were in danger on top of that; they were outlaws. To make matters worse, she was sure they were being followed, even though Shang had gone back and checked several times, finding no one there but a man on a pathetic-looking donkey the last time he looked.

Maybe she _was_ imagining it. She certainly hadn't been at her best lately, something that had been clearly demonstrated by the incident in Zhengzhou. The fight with General Huang was a vivid memory, one that kept her awake since it happened. Though she had held her own fairly well against him considering that he was one of the most skilled swordsman and she was out of practice, she had still nearly died. She was realizing now just how scared she'd been; at the time she had focused on incidental things, like her lack of skill, in an attempt to be brave and suppress her fear. So Shang wouldn't think she was a coward. But the truth was she'd been in shock, especially after watching the man get killed up close at her friend's hand. It was so much different than the experience she'd had in battle, seeing the swarm of faceless enemies covered by an avalanche.

It was her own fault that she'd had that run-in with the general. Her life had been at risk ever since she left the palace and she'd been far too flippant about it that day. Even with her face covered by the hood it ought to have occurred to her that someone might have followed them. Going out to the market like that had been really stupid, all things considered, and she should have known better. If Shang had been killed instead of the other general she would have been to blame for it. Had she learned nothing from him? Or from her father?

Unable to get comfortable she tried turning onto her side then ended up doing a three hundred and sixty degree spin to end up on her back again. In the process she twisted herself up in the blanket. Kicking at it and struggling to disentangle her body kept her occupied for a short time, taking her mind off of her nagging worries if only for a few moments.

She would have liked for Shang to be sitting up with her again tonight, his arm around her like the night before. The images of the nightmare had faded to the back of her mind somewhat but she was still left feeling uneasy and shaken up. His company would be comforting.

Resigned to the fact that sleep would not come to her again that night, she quietly stood up and padded over to the opening in the barn, her blanket wrapped around her still. The night was mild and she breathed in deeply, letting the fresh air fill her lungs, allowing it to calm her.

The wind blew and she watched the nearby trees as they swayed in the breeze, their branches rustling with a sighing sound. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of dark moving shadows and she stiffened in fear. She narrowed her eyes, gazing intently toward the trunks of the trees in an attempt to pick out the stranger that lurked there.

Shadows of the branches moved as the wind picked up again, stirring them. She still couldn't see any figure there. Shaking her head, she withdrew back away from the door and into the shelter of the barn, scoffing at her own foolishness. One little nightmare and she was afraid of shadows. It was silly; if anyone was there they wouldn't have just been standing out there watching the barn; they would have come in and attacked them.

"Mulan. Are you alright?"

She closed her eyes and sighed softly at the sound of his voice from behind her, from somewhere in the blackness of the barn.

"Yes, Shang."

"Do you mind if I join you?"

He sounded somewhat hesitant and she turned toward him, her eyes seeking out his figure in the dark. A smile slowly came to her lips.

"Of course not."

"Are you okay?" he asked, coming to stand beside her. His tone was full of concern.

"Yes. It's just been hard for me to sleep lately. As you can see."

"I know, I've been having trouble sleeping, too," he responded quietly. "So many things have happened and I keep thinking about everything. I'm awake for hours every night."

"The fight with General Huang," she began. "I didn't realize how much it scared me."

"I know," he answered after a moment, his voice laced with tenderness. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's a good thing that you're a better swordsman than he was."

"I'm not. He was just distracted."

"By what?" she asked, bewildered.

"You. He went after you and left himself open for me to get the upper hand. Whatever you did before we got there really ticked him off that he let that happen."

"I was just trying to get away from him."

She took a deep breath, attempting to fight the twinge of panic that was beginning to rise within her for no apparent reason.

"Mulan…?"

"Shang, I'm worried about my family," she blurted out suddenly. "Something might happen to them because of me. The Imperial army hasn't captured me…what if they take them instead?"

He was silent but she could feel his eyes on her.

"It's been known to happen. Maybe I should go back."

"You would be captured if you went back there. And your father wanted you to be safe. That's why he arranged for you to leave. What made you think about this?"

"I had a nightmare about it happening. About them being taken away."

"Oh," he exhaled.

"It really...it's really shaken me up."

He moved in closer to her and put his arm around both her shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly. She resisted the urge to turn and bury her face in his chest.

"It may not mean anything. Bad dreams aren't always portents. Sometimes they're just about our fears."

"I know."

"Mulan, your father is one of the craftiest, most brilliant strategists I've ever met. He's aware of every possible move the Imperial army could make and some that they haven't even thought of yet. No matter what happens; if there's anyone who can outwit them and find a way to survive, it's him. And he'll see to it that your mother and grandmother are protected, too."

**xxxxxxx**

In the morning they reached the next village and the decrepit donkey that Shang had seen the day before caught his eye as they trotted along the main strip through town. Its owner had stayed in town overnight, meaning that he had most likely come some distance. He brought his horse to a stop and Mulan followed suit.

She must have seen the suspicious expression on his face because she turned her head and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened and she snapped her head around to face him again.

"It's the same one, isn't it?"

He nodded. "I don't understand how he could have come that far on that animal. Look at it."

"Maybe it looks that way _because_ it came that far," she countered cynically.

"It didn't come all the way from Zhengzhou. It couldn't have. There's no way it would have kept up with the horses."

She sighed irritably. "Well, it's not worth arguing about now. Let's just get out of here."

Without another word to either of them she spurred her horse and took off down the main strip at a gallop, toward the northern edge of town, before Shang could get the word _Mulan_ out of his mouth. He stared after her, too stunned to move for a moment.

"She's very close with her family," Li Meng-shi remarked. "It's natural that she would be upset. She's worried about them."

Shang whirled around to look at him as he dismounted. "What are you doing?"

"I'll meet you at the edge of town in a few hours. I'm going to see what I can find out about the owner of the donkey."

"But…Mulan…"

"I'm sure she'll stop as soon as she realizes we're not behind her."

"And you're going to stay here?" he asked incredulously.

He nodded. "I think this is important. Especially after the nightmare she had."

"What does one thing have to do with another?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"How do you know…?" Shang trailed off as he immediately realized that the priest had been awake and listening in on their conversation the night before.

"Go on after her. I'll come to you when I've found out all that I can."

Shang watched him through narrowed eyes as he turned and walked off into a nearby tavern. He had an uneasy feeling about leaving Li Meng-shi in town, even though he was the only one that no one was looking for. They ought to have been moving along to their real destination instead of being side-tracked in a small village and he couldn't fathom what the priest had in mind.

But there wasn't time to worry about it now. He spurred his own steed and took off after Mulan, clearing the boundaries of town and shouting across the open plain to her as he glimpsed the blurred figure on horseback a few li ahead of him.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow soon.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to all for the kind reviews. Next chapter up.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 16 _

There was an odd feeling in this particular village, as if some disturbance had recently occurred, which Li Meng-shi picked up on immediately. The tavern was empty naturally, being the morning still, but he was guessing that the proprietor would know all of the men in town. And he would have spotted the strangers as well.

Shen-hui was a short man in his late thirties or early forties most likely, with a pleasant demeanor despite the thin, drawn appearance of his face. His wife brought out tea for them as they took a seat at one of the tables.

"Hmm," he began, rubbing his brow thoughtfully. "It's hard to know who a donkey like the one you describe might belong to. These are hard times. Livestock are as thin and worn out as their masters, dying out or being killed for what little meat they can offer. There are many in town who might own such a tired and emaciated creature. Though I have to admit I've never seen an animal like you describe."

"And no strangers came into town last night?"

"I haven't heard talk of any. Perhaps someone came during the night."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know. But I couldn't help but notice the animal when I came into town. It's grazing just across the road, so the owner, whoever he is, must still be around somewhere."

"May I ask why you're so interested in this donkey?"

"You see, I am on my way to Heng Shan, the sacred peak in the north. I've been traveling on foot much of the time, and it's slow-going, especially given the weather lately. I am too poor to afford a horse; but that donkey is not in the best shape. The owner could not ask for that much for it. Not the best mode of transportation I realize, but it would suit my purpose and my finances."

"I see. Still, it's odd. You're the only stranger I've seen. I wonder where the owner went to?"

Shen-hui's wife spoke up as she stepped out from the back once again. "I'm guessing that he left town. You sleep late all the time, so you missed the uproar this morning, Shen. Liu Peng's horse went missing."

"Indeed?"

"Perhaps this stranger stole it and left his worse-for-wear donkey in its place."

She went off to the back and disappeared but not before Li Meng-shi caught her nearly whispered musings.

"Such a sin…we have all been forced to become thieves and traitors…"

Li Meng-shi schooled his face into a passive expression despite what he'd heard and brought his cup of tea to his lips. From the wife's simple remark he knew that they would find allies in this town, not enemies.

As for the stranger on the donkey, this latest twist could mean nothing. It was entirely possible that the man was a mere thief that had left a useless donkey and snatched himself a horse with more value. Or perhaps this was an enemy that was waiting for them somewhere up ahead. He would have to speak with General Li about it.

"Well, I suppose that settles that," he spoke up. "That family has already had a great loss, what with having their horse stolen. No amount of money I could offer them for the donkey could make up for that."

"No, I suppose not. Then you are going to make the entire journey on foot?"

"I've been able to pick up rides here and there. But, yes, it will mostly be on foot."

"Well, I hope the weather will stay in your favor. It's been a bitter winter this year."

With the discussion about the donkey and the stranger finished the conversation turned to casual chatting about the weather, conditions of the times, whether Imperial soldiers had come through the village at all. Shen-hui explained that no uniformed men had been seen in town lately.

"The Emperor's army is everywhere now, looking for traitors and would-be assassins. But this is a small village of farmers and craftsmen. There's nothing that the Imperial army could want with us. Only the tax collectors are interested in this town. And we have nothing to give them anymore."

**xxxxxxx **

It didn't take Shang long to catch up to Mulan. She'd heard his voice on the wind as he shouted after her, and she had slowed her horse and turned around to wait for him. They rode back toward town and now sat together in silence under a large tree at the top of a hill overlooking the village, which had caught his eye. It had a good view of the town and the dense canopy of leaves obscured their horses and provided them a shaded place to graze.

Shang leaned back against the trunk of the tree and stared down over the village, keeping an eye out for Li Meng-shi. Every once in awhile he allowed himself to shift his gaze away and take in a glimpse of Mulan. Her face was obscured by her hood and her arms as she sat in a near fetal position, lower back against the tree trunk, knees drawn up against her chest, arms locked around them and her head down. She had such a strong, independent spirit and character and it concerned him greatly to see her so anxious and irritable, so thrown off balance. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something that might soothe her, but no words came to mind and he had the sense that there was nothing he could say that would be the right thing anyway. She was quiet now and he'd probably just agitate her more. So he chose to remain silent and leave her alone, returning to his observation of the town and his own thoughts.

His vision began to blur as he stared into the distance and his posture drooped almost undetectably as he felt overcome with sudden sleepiness. Sitting up straight and shaking his head he brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. It had been a long journey already, though they hadn't even reached the halfway point to Taiyuan, and he was exhausted, especially after not sleeping very much for the past two nights. Still, he'd functioned on less sleep than this before. He stood up and stretched, beginning to yawn as he did so. Chancing another glance at Mulan, he noted that she hadn't moved and realized suddenly that her silence and posture had nothing to do with anxiety. She was asleep.

She hadn't slept in two nights either, he reminded himself; they'd been awake together both nights. A smile crept to his lips slowly and he sat down beside her again, reaching over with two hands and gently easing the hood back so he could see her face, or at least a small part of it. He remembered how it felt to sit with his arm around her a couple of nights before, with her leaning against him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her body seemed to mold against his, fitting so perfectly in the niche created by his chest and arm as if she were custom-made for him. The previous night he'd woken up long before the sun began to rise, glimpsing her dark silhouette as she stood at the opening of the barn they were in, wondering how long she'd been awake before he joined her where she stood. He clenched his fingers now, fighting the urge to run them through her hair. He drew his hands back, the longing to put his arm around her and pull her against him again, to feel the warmth and softness of her body against his, threatening to overwhelm him. It would not be proper. Even if his intention was only to comfort her, the contact he'd had with her these last two nights was rather forward. He hadn't been using his head at all. She didn't seem to mind, but still…there were rules that guided the relationships between young men and women and the judgment of society was especially harsh on the women who didn't follow those rules. He cared for Mulan far too much and wouldn't want to do anything that might shame or dishonor her.

"Shang."

Her voice was just above a whisper, groggy and muffled from her face being buried in her arms, but it caught his attention, breaking his reverie.

"Would you put my hood back on please?"

"Oh. Sorry. I-I wanted to make sure you were okay," he mumbled sheepishly.

He tugged at the hood and pulled it all the way up over her face again. A soft throaty laugh reached his ears from underneath the heavy material and he felt his face become warm, embarrassed at the idea that she'd caught him acting like a lovesick boy.

"Thank you. I'm too tired to move."

"I'm tired too," he remarked, beginning to laugh with her, feeling the red in his cheeks subside as he realized with relief that she wasn't dwelling on the same thing that he had been. "Maybe tonight we can find a more comfortable place to stay so we can both finally sleep."

"That would be nice. Although…I don't know that I'll be able to really sleep until I know for sure that my family is alright."

He nodded and stared off toward the village again, brooding. Mulan was very close with her father and the rest of her family. He'd witnessed the bond between father and daughter in the time he'd spent at the school with them and understood her worry. There was a tight feeling in his chest and in the pit of his stomach as the thought crossed his mind of how she would react if anything did happen to her family. He'd lost both of his parents and a wife, as well as a baby that had never taken a breath; and though he hadn't shared the same closeness with them that she shared with her family, each loss had brought him profound grief. He could only imagine how devastated she would be.

And something else had been needling him at the back of his mind, only now becoming tangible thoughts in the forefront of his consciousness. The top generals like General Huang had been sent to snuff out rebellions where they were simmering. But Huang had been hanging around Zhengzhou for some reason. Mulan mentioned that he recognized her when he saw her face. But her face had been covered and there were many people in Zhengzhou. How had Huang happened to pick her out of all people? Why would he have been looking under the hood of one of three monks? The only explanation that Shang could come up with was that Huang was expecting her to arrive in Zhengzhou and had been specifically looking for her. And that would mean that he had somehow received warning that she was on her way there; in fact he had very likely been warned that she would be dressed as a monk, too. Shang didn't understand why it had taken so long for it to occur to him. Mulan was no doubt correct that someone else was following them now. He would have to be vigilant as they continued north; but he would keep his thoughts of these things to himself. She was agitated enough and he didn't want to give her something else to be alarmed about.

"I hope Li Meng-shi is alright. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to remain there alone."

Her voice was louder as she spoke up, changing the subject so suddenly that Shang started for a moment. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and turned his head back to gaze at her. She had changed position and was now sitting with her head up, knees lowered, gazing down toward the village.

Those words struck a nerve and he was reminded of how uneasy he'd been as he watched the priest disappear into that tavern. He frowned and brought his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it absently.

"Yeah, I was a little worried about leaving him. At least no one's looking for him."

"As far as we know," she responded darkly. "Did you see where he went?"

"Into a tavern," he replied, pondering whether he should set off to retrieve him. He didn't want to leave Mulan by herself; but from this position she would be able to see someone approach while remaining obscured by the tree.

"I would think we should have an easier time finding allies than enemies," she said thoughtfully. "Given the state of things and the sentiment of most people. That they would be singing the 'Ballad of Peachtree Li' in the taverns here as well."

"Yeah, it does seem like that's sung everywhere. Even before I knew what it was, I heard it in every place I went. Though we're close enough to Luoyang; maybe people are more careful about what they say here. Or sing."

"Maybe. Shang, why does he think this has anything to do with my nightmare?"

"I don't know," he answered with a worried sigh. "He's a complete mystery to me."

"My father trusts him…" she began, sending a hesitant glance his way.

He nodded. "I do, too. He seems like a good man."

"Yet you seem suspicious…"

"Oh…no…it's not that…"

"You don't believe in fortune tellers then?"

"Mm," he murmured vaguely as his mind flashed back to an old memory. "I haven't had too much contact with them. Once when I was a little boy a man told me my fortune. I couldn't have been more than seven but I remember it. He said I would be a great soldier when I grew up. And that I would live a long life and die of natural causes, not in battle."

"Well, he was right about the great soldier part."

"Of course he was," he answered with a laugh, recalling how gullible and amazed he'd been at the time, "but anyone would have been able to foretell that upon seeing me with my father who was dressed in full regalia. Chances were I was going to have a career in the military just like him."

"I guess," she conceded, tugging absently at her hood and pushing it back off of her head.

Shang studied her face as she gazed out toward the village with a sigh, noting the slight dark circles under her eyes and the exhaustion that was evident in her expression and her posture. She was trying to keep up the appearance of courage and fearlessness but he could sense her alarm. The corners of her mouth were turned down in a worried frown and her face appeared drawn and anxious. She must have felt him staring at her because she turned to him with a start, immediately realizing how tense she looked and allowing her face to relax into a smile.

"Don't look so worried about me, General."

He couldn't help feeling concerned about her, but he didn't tell her that.

"Mulan, if you want to put your head down and rest a little more, go ahead. I'll keep a look out for Li Meng-shi."

"Thanks, but it's okay. If I take too many naps now I'll never be able to get to sleep later."

**xxxxxxx**

Their tents were pitched behind them and a fire blazed in the center of their small encampment. They had been unable to find a deserted shelter to sleep in so they were camping, having finally found a spot long after sunset.

Li Meng-shi's report when he left that town and rejoined them was less than encouraging. No one had seen the stranger come into town and they had absolutely no description to go on. The donkey was the only distinctive feature they could possibly use to identify the man; and he had left it behind.

Mulan's spirits were extremely low after this latest bit of news from the priest and her anxiety was growing. She'd had time to think about the incident in Zhengzhou with General Huang and had come to the conclusion that he'd been expecting her. He had no reason to try to see their faces underneath the hoods that covered their heads unless he was expecting them to show up; expecting her to show up. Somehow he'd gotten word from someone that they were on their way. From someone on the inside and in their ranks, who would make trouble for her family no doubt.

"Don't worry about your father, Mulan," the priest told her as they sat before the fire eating the cooked fish that Shang had caught in a nearby stream. "Hua Zhou is as sharp as ever. And he'll be fine."

She looked up at him with a start, feeling a glimmer of hope for a moment before she suppressed it. She couldn't allow herself to be too hopeful. Just because Li Meng-shi could read fortunes and interpret signs didn't mean he knew everything that was going to happen with complete certainty.

"You haven't exactly given us the best news," she muttered in answer finally.

"That's true. But on the up side I suspect that we'll be more apt to meet allies than enemies in these towns. No one is faring well these days."

"Did you get a description of the horse that was stolen?" Shang asked.

"They told me it was a black stallion, full grown but small in size. And very fast."

A grave expression settled across Shang's features.

"It might be nothing. This stranger really may be a thief who left a useless donkey and stole a more valuable horse," Li Meng-shi said. "The explanation could be as simple as that and may have absolutely nothing to do with us."

"I doubt it's that simple," Shang answered. "We need to be vigilant and at least one of us needs to be on watch at all times."

"I'll take the first watch tonight," Mulan volunteered. She knew she would be too upset to sleep anyway.

"Alright," he conceded, though he looked dismayed that she had offered so quickly. "I'll relieve you in the middle of the night."

"Which means that I will continue to be the most alert person during the day," the priest remarked with a glint in his eye. "That's when I'll be on watch."

Mulan averted her eyes, feeling her face grow warm. She had already heard from Shang that the priest had heard their conversation the night before and she wondered if her father had put him up to it, keeping an eye on them. Hua Zhou liked and trusted the young general; but she supposed that he was as suspicious of him as he would be of any young man when it came to his daughter. Or perhaps _she_ was the one that he thought needed watching.

"We also need to make a choice," Shang continued. "We can move at maximum speed, no matter what the weather is like, and get to Taiyuan as soon as possible. But our speed will depend on what the horses can do and how much endurance they'll have. My horse is a good strong stallion but he's carrying both of us."

"Yes. I'm pretty thin, but it's still extra weight on the poor steed. The other choice, General Li?"

"Change direction. Go northeast for awhile then backtrack west to Taiyuan instead of going directly northwest to that city. The problem with that is we'll be heading straight into the mountains."

"My vote would be to take the most direct route at the fastest speed we can manage, General. The sooner we get to Taiyuan the better. I don't think we can afford the time it would take for a detour; unless we absolutely have to."

"Very well," Shang answered after pondering for a couple of minutes. "But I'm going to figure out an alternate route so that if there is any sign of trouble, we can detour and throw them off our trail."

"The question I have is how would this stranger have known that we were going to pass through that town? Or where we'll be headed next? He was nowhere near us to hear us converse."

"Whoever he is, he already knew our destination," Mulan interjected, her voice laced with the tension that she felt.

Shang turned to her with a worried expression.

"What if we traveled at night and laid low during the day?" she suggested.

"That's a possibility. Of course, there are dangers unique to traveling at night. Still, we would have an easier time slipping by someone who might be waiting for us," Li Meng-shi added.

"Then we should continue on our way tonight," Shang answered firmly. "If we travel all night and through the morning we should reach Jiaozuo before tomorrow evening. We can get the supplies we need and be on our way."

They quickly packed up camp and put out the fire as soon as they had finished eating. In no time they were on their way again, the thunder of hooves as they galloped at full speed the only sound in the black night.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates and thanks to all who have continued to read and review.

**xxxxxxx **

_Chapter 17 _

Jiaozuo was quiet when they arrived early in the morning.

Exhaustion was taking its toll on them after their long ride through the night and they were tempted to stop there to rest. Knowing that would be unwise they bought the supplies they needed and pressed on, stopping only to water the horses and eat.

They reached a small village several miles past Jiaozuo that evening. The townspeople gazed at the three hooded strangers on horseback inquisitively as they passed. Two men stood outside of a tavern and Mulan recognized the strains of the ballad that had become so important to many these days. Li Meng-shi pushed his hood back off of his face, nodding to the two men. He asked if there was an inn in town and they silently pointed down the street.

If Li Meng-shi thought it was safe to stay there, she concurred. It was illogical to put so much trust in one man's instincts, but Mulan truly believed that he was a mystic. Besides, she was too relieved to be inside for the night, in a bed. After their nearly two day long ride they would be resting for a full day, not leaving until late the next night. She practically fell into bed as a knock came on her door.

She groaned and forced herself to turn onto a side. "Yes?"

"I have water for you, sir."

"Okay, come in," she called out, making sure she deepened her voice and that her body was obscured.

The inn keeper stepped into the room and set the covered basin of water down on the table in the room.

"Thank you," she muttered as he swept back to the doorway hurriedly.

"Goodnight, sir."

The door clicked shut and she was alone again.

In her mind she visualized getting up and washing as she was feeling filthy and grungy from their journey. But she was too tired to move and before she knew it she was waking up from the sunlight streaming through her window into her eyes.

She winced at the brightness. Her head ached and the light made it worse. Bringing her hands to her eyes she began to rub at them, regretting her actions immediately as her eyes began to sting from the dirt on her hands that she'd neglected to wash before falling into bed. With a groan she sat up slowly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She blindly moved over to the table where the basin had been left and retrieved a towel, beginning to wash out her eyes, then her hands and face.

Her throat felt scratchy, she noticed suddenly.

"I _can't_ get sick," she repeated several times, as if her mantra would will it away.

If she came down with something it would delay them on their journey, which they didn't need. Things were already bad enough.

Rummaging through her pack, she pulled out her water skin, wincing as she sipped the stale, tepid liquid. At least it moistened her lips and throat. Later maybe, when her head stopped throbbing, she would have a badly-needed bath. For now, she picked up the towel again, dipped it into the basin and began to wash down the rest of her body by hand, pausing at the back of her neck and massaging a little to try to work out the headache.

Her hair now tied up into a neat topknot like Shang's, she dressed and tied her sword around her waist then pulled on her cloak and examined herself in the mirror that was in the room. She'd lost weight and her face was pale and drawn, less womanly. But it made it easier for her to pass as a young teenage boy.

Just in case, she pulled the hood up to hide her face as usual and stepped out of the room. She knocked on the door of the room that Shang and Li Meng-shi were sharing but received no answer.

She sighed. Sitting in her room alone was not her idea of fun, but the incident with General Huang in Zhengzhou was still vivid in her mind. She bit her lip, frowning as she weighed her options. Shang and Li Meng-shi were either asleep or had gone out and who knew when they would return. She was reminded of how hungry she was by the rumble of her stomach.

This town was not like Zhengzhou. It was small, further away from either capital, and the strains of the Ballad of Peachtree Li were unmistakable the night before. Not only was that a good sign that no one would harm her; this town might even be a place of sympathizers, who were possibly organizing their own movement. Chances were good that they felt no loyalty to Luo Di and wouldn't care either way about someone who'd deserted service to him. They might even commend her for it.

Making up her mind but still not wanting to take any chances, she kept her hood up and went downstairs. She left the inn, making her way to the tavern that they had passed the night before. It was empty, of course, but as she stood out there she caught sight of a small black stallion that had been left in the corral behind the building.

Li Meng-shi had repeated the description of the black horse that was missing; full-grown but small and very fast. She glanced up and down the street. Finding a stand where a man was selling fruit she went over and bought two apples, then walked back to where the horse was left, eating one of the pieces of fruit. If there was one thing she knew about it was horses. He eyed her warily as she drew near and she sensed that this stallion, though tamed, had been a wild one; and his wild spirit remained close to the surface. She approached slowly, speaking softly to him and holding out the other apple.

The black horse snorted with appreciation after chomping down his unexpected treat and she was granted the privilege of getting close to him, stroking his coat and looking him over for any unusual markings or brands.

"You like my horse."

She jumped and whirled around to face the lanky young man who was about her age.

"He's a beautiful stallion," she answered, regaining her composure and being sure to keep her voice low-pitched. "Full-grown, isn't he?"

"Yes. This type of horse is very small. He's from the steppe."

"Oh. Then you've come from the north?"

"Originally. I saw you traveling with those other two monks. You're much smaller than they are."

"Yes. I'm an apprentice," she answered, swallowing quickly in her nervousness. She felt uneasy at this man's observant nature and downright inquisitiveness. "I'm only fifteen."

"My name is Unegen."

Mulan bowed to him, wondering at his name. It wasn't Chinese and she guessed that he must have come from over the northern border.

"Nice to know you. I'm Jiang Hu."

He bowed in return.

"Glad to meet you."

"You're very observant, Unegen."

"Well, everyone noticed the three of you when you came into town. You like horses then, Jiang Hu?"

She nodded. "I grew up around horses."

"Me, too."

Moving forward, he began to pat his stallion's nose affectionately.

"This one is a great horse. And very fast. I call him Ganggan Har-a."

"That's an interesting name. Does it mean _fast_ in another language?"

"It's from a folk song of the grasslands in the north."

"About a horse?" she remarked wryly.

"Yes," he laughed. "A black stallion named Ganggan Har-a."

"I hope you don't mind, but I gave him a treat."

Unegen laughed again. "Not at all."

"Have you had him for a long time?"

"Since he was a foal."

"Oh. Then you've raised him all of his life."

"Yes."

"Well, he's a very fine horse."

She stroked his coat one more time then turned away from the black horse.

"You said that you were originally from the north. Have you been living here in China?"

"Yes."

Mulan waited for him to say more but he didn't. Unegen said very little about himself, yet he'd observed so much about them. She didn't like it at all.

"You are headed north?" he asked her now.

"Yes."

Attempting another tactic to draw him out, she spoke again.

"We've traveled quite a long way, all the way from Hua Shan. And we still have a long journey ahead of us."

"Hua Shan. Those are the mountains of Henan, aren't they?"

"You know Henan then?" she asked casually.

"Yes."

She was becoming frustrated with his one word answers. Even Li Shang, the epitome of the strong silent man, revealed more about himself than this guy. But without having to ask, she instinctively sensed that Unegen had just come from Henan, as they had. Maybe he had worked for someone there; it was not unheard of for rich men, or generals, to make servants of nomads of the north, whom they regarded as barbarians and slaves anyway. Chances were that Unegen had worked for such a general, maybe even the one that she and Ao-li had met in the tavern of Xiayi. She needed to get back to the inn as soon as possible and speak to Shang and Li Meng-shi.

"Well, it was nice to meet you. I need to get some breakfast and return to my masters. Thank you for letting me visit with your stallion."

"Perhaps I will see you in town again before you take off."

"Perhaps. Goodbye, Uengen."

They bowed to each other and she moved past him, walking back to the street and heading to the inn.

Shang was standing just inside the front door of the inn as she approached, arms folded, his brow creased with worry. She hurried toward him.

**xxxxxxx **

The tavern buzzed with conversation and laughter, growing livelier as the evening went on and the musicians came out to play. There were several requests for the Ballad of Peachtree Li and the performers obliged them, beginning to play and sing.

Even though Mulan was going to point out Unegen if she saw him, Shang gazed around the tavern anyway, schooling his face into a casual expression but looking for anyone who might be eyeing them peculiarly.

"Unegen is not a Chinese name," Li Meng-shi remarked thoughtfully.

"He's from the steppe. But he was familiar with Henan. I have a strong feeling he came from there. I was thinking that he might have worked for that general who we met in Xiayi."

Shang's ears perked up at that. "What general?"

"His name was General Zhao. Do you know him?"

He frowned and nodded. "He was a friend of my father. And my troop traveled part of the way with his. You and your friend were the students he was talking about. He wrote to me from Xiayi. As I remember, you brought banners to the prefect there."

She nodded. "Yes."

"I visited with Prefect Liu in his quarters," Li Meng-shi mused. "A servant brought us tea. I could kick myself now, but this man may have been working for him. I'm afraid I didn't even pay attention to that servant; I don't know if I'd recognize him if I saw him again."

"Ao-li and I dropped off the banners and that was it. He told us he would pay a visit to the school later and we left. My father thought the prefect was on our side."

"Maybe he is. This servant may have been paid off by someone else," Shang suggested. "General Zhao is very shrewd and might have slipped the servant money to keep an eye on things and snitch on his master. He was in town when you were there; you and Ao-li are the two students he met. And he was suspicious enough to mention you both when he wrote to me."

Mulan dropped her head into her hands with a groan and Shang placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. After a moment she raised her head again and picked up her drink, downing the Du Kang in one shot to Shang's great amazement.

"I guess it's impossible to second-guess everybody, even for my father," she sighed, setting the cup down again. "I wish I could contact him. I'm very worried. About my whole family."

"Contacting your family would draw attention to them," Li Meng-shi offered quietly. "Worry about one thing at a time. I assure you that your father can take care of himself."

Shang watched Mulan carefully. Du Kang was a drink that could put hair on one's chest; yet she seemed to be unaffected by it. She felt his eyes on her and looked up.

"What?"

"I never could stomach Du Kang," he answered. "How do you do it?"

"By gulping it so I don't taste it."

"Are you trying to get drunk?"

She shook her head. "I'm trying to get rid of a sore throat."

"You're sick?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine. The pain is already gone."

"Yeah," he laughed. "After that shot you just did, I'm sure it is."

**xxxxxxx **

Unegen never appeared that night.

"Maybe I was wrong," Mulan mused as they made their way from the tavern to the stables long after midnight. "Coincidences do happen."

"Anything is possible, I guess," Shang muttered. "But I don't really believe in coincidences."

After saddling their belongings on the two horses, they mounted and set off, continuing north through the night and reaching the next town in the morning.

They found Unegen there, waiting for them.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Finally updating. Apologies to all the readers who have been waiting so long for a new chapter. I had terrible writer's block on this story and then I was working overseas for several weeks. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed, and for patiently waiting.

**xxxxxxx**

_Chapter 18_

Shang disliked Unegen the moment he set eyes on him. It was obviously no coincidence that he'd decided to travel to the same destination that they were headed, and frankly he seemed to be a shady character.

But the swarthy young man bowed and greeted the three of them respectfully. Shang caught the anxious expression that flitted across Mulan's features before she suppressed it and smiled pleasantly at Unegen.

"Unegen, this is Li Meng-shi and Li Shang."

"We thought we might meet you in the town last night," Li Meng-shi began casually, smoothing over the potentially tense nature of this meeting. He stepped toward the small black stallion beside Unegen, looking it over with admiration. "Jiang Hu mentioned what a fine horse you owned. He wasn't exaggerating."

Unegen bowed again, acknowledging the compliment. "I was about to go into that tavern for a meal and some wine. The three of you have had a long and tiresome journey as well, no doubt. You must be hungry. I would be honored if you would join me."

Mulan glanced at Shang and the priest with some trepidation.

"Thank you for the kind invitation, but we're in kind of a hurry," Shang spoke up, his tone brusque.

"Still," the priest interjected, "we've been journeying long and hard and I have a sense that this village is friendly to travelers."

"Yes, it is," Unegen answered, gazing at him steadily. "This is a safe haven for any weary vagabond, or an outcast."

Li Meng-shi chuckled softly. "We'll be happy to join you for breakfast, Unegen, but I'm afraid we will have to abstain from wine, given our vocation."

"Yes, of course. Excuse my mistake."

They shuffled into the tavern after seeing to the horses and Unegen ordered wine for himself and tea for the three of them, as well as a hearty breakfast of congee and steamed buns filled with meats of all kinds. Their drinks were served immediately and conversation was casual and easy as Unegen sipped his wine and they their tea, though Shang had his guard up and observed this stranger very carefully. They chatted about their respective journeys, the inclement weather that had made it especially difficult, the popular ballad that was being sung in every tavern that they encountered.

"It's too early for them to be singing here, of course," Li Meng-shi chuckled. "You've ordered quite a lot of food for just the four of us, Unegen…we normally partake of a much more humble spread…"

"Don't worry. It's my honor to treat you all to a good meal."

They bowed their heads in a gesture of thanks to him.

"This province is not as hard hit, for some reason. Perhaps it is because Li Jing has remained in Luo Di's favor," Unegen remarked.

His comment caught the attention of all three of them.

"You know Li Jing?" Shang asked, making sure to keep his voice even. As suspicious as he was of Unegen, he didn't want him to know that.

"Not personally. I only know that he is the garrison commander at Taiyuan, in this province. There is much talk of his son, however. He's supposedly a prodigy of some sort."

Shang felt his face heat up, inexplicably irked once more on hearing praise of Li Jing's son, and from this suspicious character of all people.

"I take it you know him then, Honorable Priest?" Unegen asked Shang.

He shook his head. "Like you, I've heard of him. And his son."

"I understand that you have all come from the Henan province."

"That's right. From Hua Shan Mountain," Li Meng-shi piped up now. "We are headed for the sacred mountains in the north. Jiang Hu mentioned that you have also come from Henan."

"Yes, I was working there for awhile."

Mulan remained silent, her face expressionless.

The waiter brought their food to the table and the conversation ceased as everyone ate hungrily.

"This is delicious food that you ordered for us, Unegen. Thank you again," the priest spoke up finally.

"It's my pleasure. This area was spared, unlike many of the other provinces, especially outside of the cities. Several villages in Henan had still been functioning when I left, with the help of some good Samaritans."

He suddenly looked right at Mulan.

"Shangqiu, for example, is still in pretty good shape thanks to a retired general who is a patron to everyone in the town. Unfortunately he had to flee."

Shang felt the anger rise in him as he took in Mulan's suddenly rigid posture. This rogue possibly knew who she really was; he was playing games with her head with his spewing and he didn't like it at all. He was on the verge of jumping up and lurching toward him, but the other man continued speaking casually.

"There is an Imperial order for his daughter's head, but she escaped," Unegen continued, looking away from her and helping himself to another steamed bun. "The Emperor sent men after her family instead, in the hopes that she would return if they were captured."

He glanced around quickly and lowered his voice.

"But old General Hua Zhou is smarter than all of them, and was three steps ahead as usual."

"You speak as if you know him very well."

"He is a famous and honored warrior," Unegen answered smoothly. "And he is a good friend of my former employer."

"Your former employer?"

"Prefect Liu in Xiayi."

"Then you know much of what's going on in the provinces, and from the inside," Li Meng-shi interjected.

Unegen shrugged. "More or less."

Mulan finally spoke. "Do you know where the general went with his family?"

He shook his head. "Many people in those villages are friendly and they help each other. There is a network of allies who helped him, no doubt. I'm sure he's well-hidden."

Finishing his meat bun, he took a swig of wine and changed the subject.

"As I was saying, traveling should be easier in this province. You've all had a very difficult journey, especially with the weather that we were hit with."

"Yes," Shang answered, deciding to turn the tables on him and pry for information at the same time. "It has been rough, and we had a sense that we were being trailed in the last part of it. We thought it might have been bandits; but perhaps they decided that Daoist priests would have very little for them to take. Or maybe they felt guilty. We did pass through a town where a theft had occurred. Someone's horse was stolen. A small, fast black horse."

"But we don't know much about it," Li Meng-shi interrupted. "We arrived in town after the fact and heard about it. The whole town was in an uproar. It was an interesting journey, and fortunately we were able to easily find shelter. There were many empty barns to sleep in, deserted farms that people can't sustain any longer."

"Not deserted, necessarily. If you had gone into the houses, you might have found the corpses of the inhabitants. People aren't necessarily fleeing; they're just starving to death."

Li Meng-shi cast Shang a look that advised him to keep calm then turned back to the strange young man whose company they were keeping now and studied him closely.

"We would very much be honored if you would join us in our travels, unless you are headed in a completely different direction," the priest told him. "But I sense that the opposite is true. You seem to be going our way."

**xxxxxxx**

She could barely swallow, so severe had the pain in her throat become. But she didn't mention it to anyone, reluctant to give them any reason to stop moving forward. After all, she was the one that Shang and Li Meng-shi were trying to protect; she didn't want to become even more of a burden.

The day was already waning but they still had a full night of riding ahead of them, even though they hadn't slept that day. With any luck, perhaps they would find a safe place to stay that evening, even if just for a couple of hours. They couldn't keep up thirty-six hour days for long, she mused irritably; sooner or later it would take its toll and they would become sloppy. And now Unegen had joined them, a foreigner from over the border, whose sentiments and intentions were a mystery. From his rigid, alert posture she knew that Shang not only completely distrusted the man but probably would have had him at sword point that morning, demanding answers, had it not been for Li Meng-shi. But even he, with his rigorous training and endurance, couldn't continue to keep up his vigilance for such long hours.

Mulan uttered silent prayers that her family was safe and brooded over the things that this stranger had told them that morning at breakfast. Her nightmares had been a premonition. And yet, if Unegen was telling the truth, her family hadn't been captured. They'd fled, and there was a good chance that they were alright.

The four of them rode on in silence, side by side except for Unegen who rode in front of them. Shang had insisted on him leading; he wanted to keep an eye on him.

Oddly enough, Li Meng-shi had actually invited him along with them. If he distrusted him at all he didn't let on. Maybe he thought that it would be better to have an enemy near, where he could be watched. Or perhaps he sensed that they were in no danger from Unegen. It was hard to know what the priest was thinking sometimes, much less what he was able to divine. But she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach about Unegen being there. Whether it was because she mistrusted him inherently or because of the news he'd brought of her family, she didn't know.

She reached up and pushed a few damp clumps of hair off of her face. There hadn't been a downpour that day, but the sky had been covered with grey clouds, and for most of the day there had been a light but steady drizzle. Even for the brief periods when it stopped, tiny droplets of moisture in the air stuck to them as they trotted along toward their destination.

They were correct in their assumption that Unegen had been Prefect Liu's servant. But that was all they knew about him for sure, if even that was true. But he had no reason to lie about that really, and he knew an awful lot about many things. With every passing moment she became more certain that he had been following them all along, for what purpose she didn't know. And she was fairly sure that he knew that she was Mulan, not Jiang Hu; his meaningful gaze at her when he spoke of her father was not lost on her. How did he know how to find them in the first place? Or had he been following them all along from Shangqiu? Perhaps he was and no one noticed him until halfway through the trip.

With Unegen along for the ride there was no opportunity for the three of them to speak in private. She wanted desperately to speak to Shang and the priest about what they thought, if for no other reason than to calm her own fears.

Her head was throbbing and her eyes were beginning to burn and tear, too; she felt overheated yet chilled all over. A tinge of dizziness circled her head and she could barely see. Blinking rapidly, she attempted to push aside the sense of panic that arose in her and focus her eyes on the terrain ahead, vaguely aware that the wind had picked up and she was shivering every time it blew across her body, making her damp clothing feel cold against her skin. She was tired of traveling, of not knowing her family's fate, of second-guessing whether she could trust people or not, and she felt so irked that she wanted to cry. A feeling of exhaustion and sheer vulnerability permeated her and her nerves felt utterly raw.

Li Meng-shi's voice seemed to come from a distance several minutes later as he suggested that they stop to rest before the oncoming storm began. She managed to gather in the reins to halt her horse and dismount, stumbling then and falling forward.

**xxxxxxx**

He looked up as Li Meng-shi approached quietly and took a seat beside him in front of the fire.

"You care about her very much," he remarked quietly.

Shang started, surprised that he'd just said it outright in this way, without even easing into the conversation.

"You should be careful about how you refer to our companion," he answered gruffly, alluding to the fact that the priest had referred to Mulan as _her_. Unegen very well might have known who she really was, but they didn't need to advertise it. And they could always deny it. It's not like Unegen would be able to look under her clothing and check; Shang would kill him if he tried.

"I put an herbal remedy in his drink to make him sleep soundly tonight, General Li," he laughed. "Enough to knock out his horse. He can't hear us now."

_Unbelievable_.

With that thought Shang took a deep breath and went back to staring into the flames, not answering.

"And she cares for you as well. I'm worried about her, too, General. But she'll be alright, you know. My knowledge of herbal remedies is extensive and she's already showing improvement in just a couple of hours. She's a strong and resilient young girl."

This wasn't news to him. He knew Mulan was strong. More than once she'd demonstrated her fortitude and determination, her strength of character, her commitment to do the right and honorable thing. What she had done a few years before took an amazing amount of inner strength and courage; he still marveled at it when he remembered those days.

But ever since she'd told him of her nightmares involving the capture of her family he'd worried about her. She was so close with her family, so devoted to them; and though there was no conclusive news that her family had come to any harm, there was also no proof that they were safe and well. Unegen had told them that her family had escaped; but Shang doubted whether anything he said could be trusted. There were too many unanswered questions about him at this point. He could only imagine how frantic Mulan felt after their conversation of that morning.

If Shang had had his way, he would have held a sword at Unegen's neck right then and there, and demanded answers. And he wouldn't have hesitated to kill him. But with just a subtle gesture and a cocking of the eyebrow Li Meng-shi had somehow signaled to him that the situation should be handled more discretely and delicately. He reluctantly acquiesced, unable to comprehend the power of persuasion that this priest seemed to have over him.

Not knowing either way about her family was putting the greatest strain on her. The stress had taken its toll on Mulan quickly, causing her to succumb to the illness that had been setting in and that she'd been attempting to fend off.

At least the storm had passed. They were camped under a thick clump of trees and the dense branches and foliage acted as a semi-shelter, keeping out a large portion of the rain. But it had still been a heavy storm, with chilling winds, and Mulan needed to be kept warm.

"General…"

"Please call me Shang. You don't need to call me General. It's not even appropriate anymore."

The priest looked at him, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Of course it is. That is your rank."

"I'm not even a legitimate Imperial soldier now," he murmured dejectedly, casting his eyes downward.

"I disagree with that. And when this battle is over, you will regain your status in the new regime. In fact, you will excel beyond it."

Shang's head snapped up and he gaped at him in shock. "What?"

How could the man possibly know such a thing? He'd heard that Daoist priests often read signs and some could tell the future from looking at the sky; even from a change in the weather. Had Li Meng-shi already determined his future just by observing the passing of a storm?

"This is only a temporary exile, General Li. You've been forced to choose sides."

"And I chose the side against my Emperor," he sighed.

"But you had to."

The young man shook his head slowly. "I know I had to. But even before I knew…I…" he trailed off.

"You what?"

He shook his head and went back to staring into the fire. "Never mind."

It didn't matter anymore and there was no point in talking about it. Deep in his heart he knew that he'd chosen Mulan over his country a long time ago, and not just in his sparing of her life in the mountains when it was his duty to execute her. Throughout an arranged marriage he had continued to think of her. A man's thoughts were his own, and he could do as he pleased; but he'd always felt guilty about it. Then when Luo Di declared her an enemy and demanded her execution, charging all of his generals to carry out his order when they found her, Shang had had doubts as to whether he could. Now he was sure that he never would have.

Sensing Li Meng-shi's steady gaze upon him, Shang snapped out of his reverie and turned to him. The priest was eyeing him curiously.

"I know that you are wondering about my decision to bring Unegen along."

"That question had crossed my mind."

"Frankly, I would rather keep the enemy where I can see him. And I'm not convinced that he is the enemy."

"You think he was telling the truth then?"

Li Meng-shi shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps Prefect Liu sent him; or maybe he took it on himself to come after us and warn us. Maybe, like many of us, he realized that Taiyuan would be the place of the strongest organized movement and decided to join, under the pretext of coming to warn us."

"It all seems too convenient," he sighed, glancing in the direction of the tent where Unegen was now settled in for the night. "I never did trust anything that was too convenient, or coincidental."

"Well, if he is the enemy we now have him in close proximity where we can watch him and observe his motives. As the most rested person of the three of us, I'll be on watch for the first part of the night. Perhaps you should get some sleep now, General."

Shang stood up and bid him goodnight. But he didn't go to his own tent. Compelled to see if she was alright he went to the tent where Mulan lay and took a seat beside her. She was awake, tears streaming down her face.

"Mulan."

A sob escaped her and she quickly stifled the rest that threatened to come out as he softly uttered her name.

He reached over and his fingertips brushed the tears that had stained her cheeks. Wanting to comfort her and aware of how overwhelmed she was from stress and fatigue he spoke gently.

"I'm sorry, Mulan. I know how worried you are."

Her hand flew up to quickly wipe her eyes. She seemed ashamed and he began to stroke her hair soothingly.

"We're almost to Taiyuan. It'll be safe there..."

She tried to turn away. He knew that she needed to cry and couldn't understand why she felt that she had to hide her tears from him. Did she believe that he would ever think her weak?

Encircling his arms around her waist, he lifted her up to sitting and embraced her tightly, rubbing slow circles in the middle of her back with one hand as she cried silently, her shaking body the only sign of her sobbing. She raised her head to look at him some time after the spasms that wracked her body had subsided, her skin glistening with tears. Without thinking he brought a hand up to her face and began to caress its contours, absently contemplating the beauty of her visage and the loveliness of the individual features that, put together, made her who she was. Her face was mere inches from his, her eyes trusting and longing; he wasn't sure if he was imagining it when she arched it even closer toward his. Unable to help himself, he leaned down and began to kiss her.

**xxxxxxx**

A/N: More to follow shortly.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this. I know where I want the story to go but I'm having trouble getting it written. Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and for taking the time to review.

**xxxxxxx **

_Chapter 19 _

When she woke up in the morning she was bundled up in layers of blankets and lying on the ground. Bewildered, her eyes darted around, searching for him. She didn't remember falling asleep.

"Shang," she whispered, her lips curving into a smile as she glimpsed him. He'd wrapped himself up in one of the extra blankets and stretched himself out beside her, his sword placed between them and acting as a barrier. His idea of making sure that custom was observed and that her honor was safe, she thought with a grin. It was a sweet gesture actually.

The last thing she remembered were his kisses, searing and tender all at once. Her lips tingled at the memory and she closed her eyes as her fingers moved up to touch them. Some time afterward she'd settled down in his arms, feeling warm and safe. She was glad he hadn't left the tent.

Opening her eyes and reaching over, she ran her fingers gingerly through his hair, not wishing to wake him yet. They were all weary, all dirty and scraggly, but it didn't matter. She loved looking at him.

"I'm going to have to scold him when he wakes up."

Mulan jumped at the sound of Li Meng-shi's voice as he poked his head inside the tent and she snatched her hand back.

"He just came in to see how I was," she replied quickly, her cheeks beginning to flame.

"I know. But he still ought to be sleeping in his own tent. Especially now that we have an enigmatic guest traveling with us."

He laughed and she fought the impulse to pull the blanket over her face, instead rolling onto her side so she didn't have to look directly at him. A part of her didn't care anymore. They were living under extreme duress and she'd been in such close proximity to Shang for so long now, feeling as if she would burst if she had to go any longer without touching him, and without him touching her.

But the other part of her was well aware of custom and the opinion that her peers would have.

"But then, we are living in unusual circumstances these days." His words echoed her thoughts, startling her. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she answered in a muffled voice.

"Good."

"So, is anyone keeping an eye on our enigmatic companion?"

"He's still asleep. I'm brewing some more healing tea for you now. I'll bring it in when it's ready."

She flipped onto her back with a soft sigh, feeling disappointed in herself. They needed to get to Taiyuan and she was holding them up. She'd tried so hard not to get sick.

A soft groan made her turn to her right. Eyes still closed, he shifted onto his back then settled down again. She sat up and leaned over him, studying the handsome features, the way his hair tumbled loosely around his angular visage. Without thinking, she allowed her fingers to lightly trace the contours of his face, flushing with warmth as she recalled the way that he'd caressed her the night before and the loving gaze in his eyes. It took her breath away to realize it; she had always thought it was too much to hope that he'd ever look at her in that way.

His hand suddenly covered hers, holding it against his cheek, and she jumped. She went to withdraw her hand but he held it against his skin firmly.

"That feels nice," he drawled sleepily. His eyes were still closed.

"Li Meng-shi is on his way back here with tea for me."

With a start he opened his eyes, immediately releasing her hand. He hurried to sit up. "Oh!…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have fallen asleep here…"

"I'm glad you were here when I woke up."

Shang smiled gently and reached for her hand again.

"That was a great idea, leaving the sword there. But what if I had rolled over onto it?"

He chuckled lightly. "I would have been more likely to roll over onto it."

His thumb lazily traced the back of her hand.

"Are you feeling better?"

"A little. I slept very well. Did you sleep alright?"

"Mm," he answered absently.

His dark eyes were intense and serious as he gazed at her.

"Mulan, I…"

There was a soft rap on the material of the tent from outside and Mulan cursed inwardly as Li Meng-shi pushed the flap back, quickly letting go of Shang's hand. She had no idea what Shang might have been about to say, but she had a sense that it was something important judging from his expression. As for the priest, he really had lousy timing and she was certain that her father had asked him to keep an eye out to ensure that a proper distance was kept between them. And perhaps it was just as well, she thought with an inward sigh. Who knew what foolish things she might do otherwise?

"Here you go." He handed her the cup. "Drink it while it's hot."

"Thanks."

"Good morning, General Li."

"Good morning."

"Did I interrupt something?"

"I was just about to say that we should move out today and try to find some place for Mulan to rest. Hopefully we won't need to go far."

"It's okay. I'll be fine," she protested.

"Mulan, you shouldn't push yourself. It's my opinion that we shouldn't travel too far…"

"And it's my opinion that we need to get to Taiyuan as soon as possible. I don't want to be the one holding us up. We're supposed to be escorting you, Li Meng-shi, and instead it's ended up that the two of you are protecting me and taking care of me."

"That's okay…" Li Meng-shi interjected.

"It's not okay with me. Let's just get there already, where it's hopefully safe. Then I can rest all I want."

Shang sighed and turned to the priest. "What about our guest?"

Li Meng-shi shrugged. "We'll keep him close during the day, and I'll try to make sure he's knocked out at night."

"He may figure it out and stop drinking your concoctions."

"Maybe. I'll worry about that when it happens."

"Do you trust him?" Mulan asked apprehensively, unsure what she wanted his answer to be. In a way she hoped they could trust him. On the other hand, maybe he had lied to them about everything, including her family. Perhaps they were at home still, safe; though she doubted that. Everything seemed to have fallen apart, and it was wishful thinking to imagine that her family continued as before.

"I'm not sure. And to be honest with you I don't think he trusts us, which makes me believe that his motives may have nothing at all to do with us. Maybe he's on the run, too."

"Don't you have any herbs that will make him tell the truth?" she muttered. "You seem to have them for everything else."

The priest laughed. "Unfortunately it's not foolproof."

**xxxxxxx **

They rode side by side under ominously grey skies, Unegen in the middle, flanked by Mulan on one side and Shang and Li Meng-shi on the other. The priest chatted casually with him, managing to draw the young man out somewhat. At least he got him to admit that he was headed for Taiyuan, just as they stopped to rest and water their horses.

"A fortune teller read my palm and directed me to Taiyuan," Unegen explained as the four of them sat on the bank by the stream. A thin sheet of ice covered the water, but it had begun to melt in patches. "He told me he believes there are auspicious signs surrounding that city and that important events will be happening there. As you well know things are bad where I came from, where you came from. I'm hoping it will be better in Taiyuan."

"What are you going to do when you get there?"

"I'm not sure, really. Prefect Liu directed me to Li Jing, the garrison commander. Perhaps I can help the three of you." His gaze fell on Mulan. "You _are_ General Hua Zhou's daughter, aren't you?"

The three of them froze. Then Shang leaped up ferociously, his fury getting the better of him, and grabbed the lanky youth by the collar, lifting his feet off the ground.

"Hey! What…?"

"Ever since you've joined us, you've been dropping hints about what you know. If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise shut your mouth or I'll shut if for you."

Unegen struggled, straining to touch the ground with his toes. Shang tightened his grip on the young man's collar.

"Talk, before I kill you with my bare hands!"

"What do you want to know?" the young man cried, genuinely afraid.

"First of all, why have you been following us? And don't lie and say you haven't been."

"Prefect Liu sent me after you."

"Why should we believe you? For what reason would he do that?" Shang demanded.

"Things are very bad in that area. Many people in those villages have been forced to flee, not just Mulan's family. And someone from Hua Zhou's location was supposed to come to Prefect Liu. But he never arrived, neither in Prefect Liu's office nor at the school in Xiayi."

"Who was supposed to come?"

"One of the students. I don't know his name. He never showed up. We think he might be a traitor…"

Dismay clouded Mulan's features. Shang caught her look as he gazed past Unegen, and remembered immediately that one of the students that she was friendly with, Ao-li, had disappeared a day or two after he'd arrived at the school. Hua Zhou had sent him on an errand.

She caught his eyes on her and nodded, knowing what he was thinking without having to ask. "It might have been him. I never thought him to be a traitor. Nor did my father...maybe he never got there because he was caught."

"We're in just as much trouble if he was caught as if he was a traitor," Li Meng-shi answered gravely. "Most likely he would have been tortured by his captors, for information."

Shang winced at the thought of what the boy had probably gone through if that was the case. He was well aware of the methods of torture that were resorted to in order to extract information from people. As a military man he'd been prepared for it somewhat in his training, in the event that such a thing happened to him. And even that wasn't really enough. But Ao-li was young, a teenager who had studied calligraphy, not the military arts; Hua Zhou had gathered together a village full of desperate people who were willing to learn to fight for their lives, not military professionals like him. If Ao-li was caught it was understandable that his captors would have broken him easily. And had probably killed him once they had the information they needed.

Either scenario would explain how General Huang knew they were coming. And it also meant that all the men and women in the calligraphy school, possibly most of the people in that village, were in a precarious position, not just Mulan's family. There was no doubt that they'd all had to flee.

"We still don't know whose side you're on," Shang spoke to Unegen again. "Maybe you've come from the men who detained him for whatever reason."

"I swear that I was working for Prefect Liu. When I told him about the fortune teller he recognized the name of the city. He released me from my duties and sent me to warn you. The movement in Henan province has failed…"

"Yes, I think I believe that you worked for him. But you could have been working for him and still in league with our enemies. And now you're here to lead them to us."

"No, I swear…"

"If he sent you to warn us, why didn't you just say so?"

"I had to be sure…things are bad…no one is to be trusted…"

"That's true. And that's why I think I should kill you just to be on the safe side."

Unegen flailed in terror, attempting to break free of Shang's iron grip. "I swear on my ancestors twelve generations back that I was sent by Prefect Liu to help you. He sent me to Li Jing, figuring that I'd meet you through him. I'm on your side."

Shang looked him over, pondering. As far as he was concerned this guy was a liability and they couldn't take the chance. But Mulan was watching him tensely and he knew that she didn't want him to kill Unegen. She believed him to be the only person who might have information about her family, though he denied it, and she was afraid that information would be gone with him were he to be killed.

He released his grip on the youth and Unegen stumbled as his feet touched the ground again.

"You…are not like other priests…" he stammered.

"Li Shang is a priest with special skills," Li Meng-shi chuckled. "Potentially dangerous ones, I might add."

"Don't forget it," Shang told him pointedly.

Unegen dropped to his knees before him, kowtowing.

"Honorable Priest, I am your humble servant."

**xxxxxxx**

After the incident at the stream, their still mysterious guest remained fairly quiet as they continued on toward Taiyuan for the next two days.

"We're not far. We should arrive by nightfall."

Shang nodded, maintaining a watchful eye on Mulan and Unegen who rode ahead of them. The air around them was thick with fog; it was impossible to see more than a few feet ahead and he stayed ready to spur his horse on in the event that the sight of them became swallowed by the dense mist in the air.

He dearly hoped that they were making the right choice keeping this dubious stranger with them. While it was true that it was better to keep him in sight if he was the enemy, Shang was still concerned. Every remark that Unegen made to Mulan was provocative in some way, and she was so vulnerable now. Between wondering about her family and now the latest news about her friend, there was a lot troubling her.

A pang of guilt tugged at him. Just a couple of nights before he'd taken advantage of that vulnerability, of her need to somehow find solace. He'd sworn to himself that he never wanted to do anything that would dishonor or shame her, yet in a thoughtless moment, a split second, he'd forgotten all about that. She hadn't minded at all and they'd only kissed, after which she settled down against his chest and eventually fell asleep. Still, he scolded himself inwardly, he should have had more self-control.

Unegen was afraid of him at least. And he'd kowtowed to him, recognizing his superior status. Li Meng-shi felt that this would keep his behavior in check. Had Unegen been Chinese, Shang would have agreed. But he wasn't, and it was possible that he'd merely learned to imitate certain Chinese customs to blend in. And to convince others that he was of no consequence to them.

The outline of the two figures ahead became blurred and he spurred his horse to catch up to them.

**xxxxxxx **

Night had fallen already and it was raining again when they reached Fengyang Bridge and entered the city of Taiyuan. After taking care of the horses they stumbled wearily into the nearest tavern to get food and water.

"How are you doing?" all three men asked as they seated themselves at a table.

Even Unegen, who'd somehow managed to ingratiate himself to Shang somewhat, had become overprotective of her and it took every effort not to snap at all of them.

"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me."

She sighed ruefully. It wasn't her intention to be rude.

Under the table, Shang's hand settled on hers and she glanced at him curiously.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he murmured.

He was talking about Ao-li, she realized.

"Oh."

Maybe that was why she was in such an irritable mood. Ao-li had been a nice young man, and it saddened her to think of what might have happened to him. He was a comrade and not a close companion; men and women rarely were close friends. But she'd still considered him a friend.

And what of her family? She knew that her father and many of the others would be leaving the school, to regroup later. Hua Zhou had said as much to her before she left. But if Unegen had been telling the truth, if Ao-li had been caught and tortured, everyone in the village was in trouble, wherever they were. Even the people that hadn't been involved were guilty by association.

Mulan turned to him, heartened slightly as she suddenly remembered something. "Shang, it wasn't him. It was someone else."

Ao-li had gone to Sui Xian. Her father had also told her that just before they left. Sui Xian was in the opposite direction from Xiayi; whoever Unegen was talking about, if it was for real, it wasn't Ao-li. Prefect Liu had been waiting for someone else.

"He went to Sui Xian. Not Xiayi."

Shang squeezed her hand firmly then released it as a man came over to serve them.

"Excuse me," he asked him. "Do you know a man named Li Jing?"

"A madman. What could you possibly want with him?"

"He's a friend of my father's. I've come to visit him, knowing he lives in this city, but I don't know where his house is."

"You don't need to go to his house to find him. Just look in all the bars. He's sure to be in one of them."

"What about the garrison?"

A large bearded man at a neighboring table laughed. "He's even less likely to be there."

"Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?" Shang retorted, flashing him an annoyed glance.

"Well, you won't find him here," the tavern keeper continued, sniffing. "He nearly destroyed this place a few weeks ago and I've banned him. It took four men to hold him back and stop him. And with the Emperor's emissaries here."

"The Emperor's men were here?" Li Meng-shi asked.

"Yes. They came to summon Li Jing to court. After all, he is the Emperor's officer. The good general had already been here for hours drinking. He went on a rampage. Picked up a chair and threw it at the men from the palace. Can you imagine? Throwing a chair at the Emperor's men…"

"Perhaps they were summoning him to his execution," the priest interrupted him. "That's a common occurrence these days."

"Well probably with good reason if that's the case."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Now, Li Jing's son…he's a good man and an excellent warrior. He just reached his twenty-second year. In my opinion the Emperor should kick the father out of his post and raise Li Zhi-xu to provincial general."

He shuffled off, muttering to himself in a huff about all the work it took to fix up the place again.

"Well, now what?" Shang sighed. "It sounds like the important man we're seeking has lost his mind."

"Li Zhi-xu may be the one we are seeking actually, not Li Jing," Li Meng-shi replied with a shrug. "We should meet both of them."

"Important?" the same bearded stranger at the next table piped up again. "Li Jing?"

"You're very rude. And unless you have something helpful to offer, you ought to mind your own business," Shang snapped.

"Still listening in?" the priest asked, speaking more politely. "Maybe you can tell us where to find him."

The man shrugged. "I don't know where he is."

"What about the garrison?"

"He's probably not there. But after you're done eating I can direct you to where it is if you'd like."

"Thank you. That would be very helpful."


End file.
